The Demon Hunter's Saga
by Eladriewen
Summary: A Warlord from the future is taking demons from all over the world(past and present)and imprisoning them.When Hiei is taken, Yusuke & co. rush to save him. Teaming up with the hanyou Inuyasha & co., will they win this battle?[COMPLETE]
1. Chapter One

The sun was setting slowly across a blood red savannah. Shadows extended with a bitter hatred, the jagged forms of trees becoming groping hands, rocks became still beasts, and all sounds, silent and not, were deceptive to even the most tuned of listeners. This was the kind of atmosphere Hiei loved most.

Night was his cover, and he used it well. Like a silent shadow he slipped between the boughs of the trees, no gaze trained enough to catch his moves. The small lantern like eyes that opened and closed were perhaps the only giveaway he possessed, though a lesser educated being might think them flecks of awkward light in the dying eve. He stood motionless, waiting for the one moment to move.

Then suddenly, the winds shifted. Breezes picked up and rustled the bows of the trees, the shadow-hands upon the ground stretched their fingers and moaned in unknown agony. Now was his time.

Hiei now flew from tree to tree, then landed cat-like on the ground. The katana at his side was drawn from it's sheath faster still, more swiftly than his feet as they moved across the damp ground.

Hiei continued to moved from tree to tree, never ceasing in his footsteps, never stopping for breath or break, or to gain a better view or comprehension of the world around him. He was not fleeing. Hiei never backed out of a challenge. He accepted them. Eagerly.

Then, without warning, he stopped dead in his tracks. But whatever eyes that followed him did not get a good enough view, for he soon disappeared. A twitch of Hiei's powerful leg muscles and he was hurled high into the air. He seemed to be motionless there, the wind catching him and holding him, cradled in the undying protection of the invisible atmosphere. But he did not stay long. Soon Hiei began to fall rapidly.

A green aura of light enveloped him, like the plasma entrails on a space craft reentering Earth's atmosphere. But this so called plasma trail grew in diameter and luminosity. Soon all one would be able to see _was_ the green cloud that had seemingly swallowed the small yet burly man in it's brilliant center.

Then a massive collision took place. Bits of Earth and chunks of rock were hurled into the air, and a massive crater was formed beneath him. Clouds of smoke billowed out, covering the land and choking the sunlight, giving the small clearing in which the demon had stopped a very welcome cover of shadow. This remained for many minutes as Hiei walked casually away from the damage he had inflicted upon the Earth. But he did not leave. His experiments were not over.

The katana had not been rested back in it's sheath yet. It was clenched in the right hand of it's wielder, glinting with a passion to draw blood. Hiei smiled.

A flash of what seemed to be lightening, and three great oaks that once stood before Hiei and his weapon fell to the ground, cut clean. Another leap and he was on the other side of the clearing. Three more trees fell, and three to the east and three to the west. Finally, the smoke cleared, and all airborne creatures could see the new damage inflicted upon the forest.

A dissatisfied sigh escaped from Hiei's lips. He sheathed his sword and bowed his head, a frown forming upon his darkened features. But he did not frown at his presentation, though he had not been wholly pleased with it. He frowned because he was being watched.

It did not matter that he could not hear or smell the other demon, but he sensed the presence well enough, and that presence he knew better than any other.

'Do you not know what it means when someone says that they want to be alone?' he asked shrewdly, not turning his gaze nor his body toward the other person. A red haired, fair faced young man who appeared to be not much older than sixteen stepped out of the brush, smiling gently. There was an immortal wisdom in the piercing green eyes, gazing deeply enough into them and one would think that he was not sixteen at all, but a vessel that had seen countless years and learned a great many values from all of them.

The funny thing was, they would be right.

Kurama was no boy, nor was he even human. Sixteen was not even a fraction of his true age, though in either form one had to admit he appeared both intimidating and striking. Yet for all Kurama's subtleties, he was a dangerous creature. Mind games were his specialty, and even Hiei had to admit he was well learned in such tactics.

'I'm sorry.' Kurama responded, the smile never once leaving his young, yet wizened features. 'I suppose I could not help myself. I was looking forward to seeing how much you had improved.'

'Well you have wasted your time.' Hiei chided. He peered down at his gripped right hand, angry as though it were his hand's fault that he could not perform to what he believed were his full capabilities. 'I've not improved at all.'

'I think these trees would disagree,' Kurama responded with a laugh. 'You don't know your strength, Hiei.'

The fire demon whirled his piercing gaze upon Kurama. One might question that they were best friends in times like this. It was likely that Kurama's caring nature and innate understanding of Hiei that kept their friendship at times when he (Hiei) was at his worst. Nevertheless, they _were _friends; even if Hiei would not admit it for his own pride, and Kurama not admit it for Hiei's.

'I know my strength well enough, Kurama. I know that it is hardly enough to satisfy me.'

Kurama nodded in silence, saying nothing more. Hiei also fell silent, feeling a fresh and soft breeze coming. He allowed it to ruffle his spiked hair and soothe his nerves, the song dancing in his ears and wearing away the past few hours of pointless training.

'Something is coming.' Kurama frowned, smelling a tinge of bitterness on the wind. Hiei nodded.

'You've noticed it too, then?'

'I have for some time.' he looked at the setting sun. 'And I do not like it.'

Hiei turned to his friend and smiled wisely. 'Things are going to change.' he stated.

'But for the better?' Kurama questioned.

'That is left to be said.' Hiei answered, and together they gazed on.


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note:_ Hi everyone! The writer who was once Eladriewen and is now The Sundance Kid here. Thought I'd try my skills (heh heh) at an anime story. Hope you all like it. Be nice though, it's my first one. I was listening to "Idiot Boyfriend" by Jimmy Fallon while writing this one. (Great song by the way!!!) Hope it set the mood. Lord knows it fits Yusuke perfectly._

Keiko stood with a frown outside the small, homely diner. The sun was setting, and Yusuke was already an hour late. Fuming, she started pressing her nails hard into her palms.

"If that brat set me up again, he'll be sorry the next time he runs into me!" Her eyes twitched as a nerve did the same near her right temple. "Yusuke, you-" But suddenly, her skirt flew up and nearly over her head, and a familiar voice started cackling in her ear.

"Just for once Keiko, can't you wear a thong?"

Immediately, Keiko's face flushed red in both fury and embarrassment.

"YUSUKE YOU PERVERT!!!" she turned and slapped him hard across the face. A few people stopped to see what was going on, but soon started on their way again. Many people were used to their uncommon behavior, and so paid it little attention. "Can't you _EVER_ think about _ANYTHING_ else?!"

Yusuke, who was flat on the cement sidewalk, ogled up at her with a stupid grin (a classic of his). It was odd, he could fight almost any demon Spirit World had to throw at him, but when it came to holding up against Keiko's slaps, he was down for the count after one hit. She had to wonder at times if he did it just to make her feel bad.

"Aw, c'mon Keiko," he pouted with a kitty face, pawing at her skirt. "Ya' know I'm just looking out for what's best for you!" Keiko frowned bitterly, causing the kitty face to melt away into an innocent blush. Yusuke stood and stretched, then yawned as if he were already bored with the conversation. "So where are we goin'? Better not be no place girly."

"We're already here, genius." Keiko chided, walking through the entrance. Yusuke sighed in boredom and followed, as though he were a dog on a leash being lead to the gas chamber.

"Where we sittin'?"

But Keiko didn't answer. A waiter approached them with a cheesy grin and mustache, a snooty expression, and an all too well pressed suite for the job he was doing.

"Smoking or non-smoking?" he asked.

"Smoking." Yusuke answered, but Keiko slapped him hard across the back of the head.

"Non." she answered. The waiter bowed and lead them to a table in front of a window framed in flowers and satin draperies. The pair sat so that one was facing the other as menus were lain out on the table.

"I thought I said no place girly." Yusuke frowned as he perused the menu idly.

"It's not girly." Keiko argued. "It's _romantic_."

"Same difference," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothin'."

Keiko lowered her gaze, them smiled as she turned to look out the window. The first few starts of the night were beginning to peak through, twinkling down from the heavens. A gentle, innocent smile formed on Keiko's features.

"Isn't it romantic, Yusuke?"

"Yeah, sure." he muttered from the other side of the table. The smile died on Keiko's face as she turned to consider the bored expression on Yusuke's. She sighed sadly, bringing the young man to consider her seriously for the first time that night.

"You know Yusuke, if you didn't want to come, you could have said so."

"What are you talking about?"

Keiko sighed again. "You're obviously not interested in being with me," she started. "You're so bored and you don't bother to hide it. If you want to leave, you can."

Yusuke frowned, seriously considering her words. Then, suddenly, he started to laugh.

"Keiko, it's not you. I just don't enjoy these sorts of places. All uppity and snooty with their pressed suits and shiny shoes, it's like they're better than the rest of the world."

Keiko chuckled lightly. Of course! She knew these weren't the places that Yusuke really liked, but just for once she had hoped they might go somewhere nice. Yet, in love one had to make sacrificed. She supposed.

"All right Yusuke, we can leave, but I-" she stopped dead sentence when she noted the look upon the young man's face. "Yusuke?" she whispered. The cold gaze frightened her, and she followed it steadily to a man standing in the doorway of the restaurant. His eyes were focused on the pair also, and a sadistic grin was dancing across his shadowed features.

From where she sat, Keiko could tell he was a pale man. Tall definitely, and lanky, though his trench coat hid him well.

A hand touched hers, making her nearly leap from her seat in fear. Her gaze turned back to Yusuke, who's eyes had not left this stranger.

"Keiko, I'm going to walk you home," he whispered. "Now."

"Okay."

Author's Note: _Ooo, who's the new creep? And why's Yusuke so worried about him? What? No! I'm not telling you! Keep reading!_


	3. Chapter Three

A pair of steady eyes watched the young couple leave the restaurant, and the broad-shouldered monster following them. Whatever he wanted, it wasn't a friendly hello.

From his perch, Hiei could smell that this man was not all he seemed, but could pinpoint exactly what he was hiding. The man moved carelessly, not seeming to be too concerned with the fact that his prey was well aware of his presence. In fact, the man seemed to enjoy stressing that he was near, and that he was coming closer and closer to them.

__

He knows how to play this game, then. Hiei observed, almost smiling. _Back them up into a corner so that they panic, think too rashly and screw up. Then you move in and take what you want, leaving behind enough to show what you are capable of and that you're on one to be screwed with._

He went silent as he watched the shadow creep closer to Yusuke and his companion. Sighing, Hiei rolled his eyes. _Unfortunately for me, I would be associated with this one well enough to be expected to take care of him should he fall into trouble._

Then in a flash Hiei was gone from his perch. Not that it mattered. No one noticed a shadow among other shadows. That's what Hiei was.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Yusuke yelled, standing protectively in front of Keiko. There was no answer, only the blowing of a hollow wind. Yet the silence seemed more frightening then a voice, had one emitted from the blinding darkness around them. Quietly, Yusuke slipped a hand behind him and took Keiko's arm firmly but gently. He leaned back far enough so that she might catch his words. "Can you make it home from here?"

"What are you going to do?" she asked, a worried light shining in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Distract him. If nothing else. Long enough for you to get home. Can you do that, Keiko?"

She nodded, and was about to start off when suddenly a voice reached them.

"I wouldn't let her leave." it mocked. Immediately Yusuke pulled Keiko back behind him, his fingers never unwinding from her wrist.

"Why's that?" Yusuke growled, his eyes darting every which way to try and locate the owner of the voice. "You have nothing against her, it's me you want."

"Don't be so sure." came the answer, with a maniacal laugh.

Without realizing it, Yusuke gripped harder around Keiko's wrist. He released her immediately when she whimpered in pain, and for a moment he prayed that he hadn't bruised her. But within another moment his attention was focused back to the situation at hand.

"Come out and show yourself!" Yusuke demanded.

"Very well then,"

From the shadows to their left, a foot flew and connected immediately with Yusuke's temple. The blow wasn't strong, but the surprise and the immediate pain sent him flying. Within seconds he was sprawled out on the floor, dizzy and nauseated. A yell from Keiko was what brought him back to reality.

Opening his eyes, he saw the hand clasped around her wrist, squeezing tightly. She squirmed uncomfortably but was otherwise uninjured, yet the sight angered Yusuke greatly.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER YOU CREEP!!!"

Yusuke swung, and missed, his fist flying through musky air and hitting nothing.

"What the...?" he whispered, landing on his feet, his eyes opened wide and stunned. His gaze whirled around to Keiko. She was nursing her wrist, but gave him a reassuring smile to let him know she was fine. "COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!"

"YUSUKE!"

He turned to see what was the matter, but he was too late. A fist, as though it had materialized from thin air, came and smashed square into Yusuke's jaw. This time it was strong, and the pain was mind numbing. He could barely groan before a gush of blood ejected from his mouth. Yusuke was certain he'd bitten his tongue clean off, and by the time he hit the concrete beneath him he was certain he'd swallowed it as well.

Eyesight blurring, Yusuke opened his eyes to see the fuzzy image of a tall, muscular man. A pointed nose sat elegantly on a thin face framed beneath a mane of silky jet black hair. Blue eyes glared out from underneath the brim of an old fashioned detectives hat, shading the face just enough to add some mystery to the undeniably attractive nature of the man.

"That, Yusuke Urameshi, was a present from a future you'll never live to see." he smiled.

"Don't be so sure about that." The young man argued back, spitting out a large amount of blood. _Okay,_ he thought, pulling himself up to rest on his elbows. _So I didn't bite my tongue off. If this fight keeps going though I may lose something more valuable then that._

"This is merely a warning." he went on.

"Warning?" Yusuke laughed. "What is it with you evil morons and 'Warnings'. Are you all too afraid to get the job done the first time? Hoping that stubborn jackasses like me will just step down and let you do whatever the hell you want?"

The man laughed. It was a warm, sort of homely chuckle, and that surprised Yusuke. The blue eyes considered him affectionately with an undying grin.

"Well, we really _weren't_ expecting that. But of course, we won't stop you if that's what you decide to do."

"Fat chance."

"Oh good. I was afraid I'd be disappointed there for a moment." The man started to walk away, but when he had reached the secure safety of the shadows he lifted his left hand. Yusuke, now standing, could see him well enough, but was still confused. "Warning's up." he announced. The man whirled and extended his arm, but was immediately surprised to find that a split second later, he had no arm!

****

FLASH!

A deep incision was made across his abdomen. Then another, and another, until at last he stood soaked in his own blood and sweat, an arm missing and half of his vital organs hanging from his slashed torso. One second later and he fell. Dead.

"What the...?" Yusuke breathed, not quite sure of what he saw.

"You should have learned by now, detective, to be more careful."

"Hiei?"

Yusuke turned his head to see the small fire demon cleaning his sword of fleshly spilt blood, looking casual and yet slightly irritated. That always seemed to be a favorite countenance of his. "Hiei!" Yusuke laughed. "Man, you saved my butt there."

"Hn." Hiei frowned, then turned down an alley to leave.

"Hey wait!" Yusuke called after. "Don't you want a thank you?"

Hiei turned a raised eyebrow to the detective, seeming puzzled and irritated at the same time. If Hiei ever had any expression, it was always irritated and then something else. Never anything less than that.

"Who do you think I am? Some knight in shining armor come to save a damsel in distress?"

"Hmmm," Hiei thought with a laugh. "No. Guess you're right. They don't make armor in children's sizes anyway!" He laughed. Hiei simply frowned and started walking away.

"Next thing he'll think is that Kurama got his ridiculous rose from _me_."

"Awww! Are you two dating?" Yusuke laughed.

****

FLASH!

Hiei was at Yusuke's throat in a minute. His sword drawn and ready to puncture skin.

"Say that again detective and I _will _kill you."

Yusuke smiled and shook himself free of Hiei's grip. The demon was still glaring him down, but somehow the detective shook it off.

"So, what are you doing here shrimp?"

"Keeping your ass from being terminated."

"Why?" Yusuke asked, scratching his head. "Someone _else_ planning on destroying the world?"

"Not quite." Hiei responded, sheathing the katana. "But it ranks a close second, so I've been told."

"Well, can it wait till tomorrow?" Yusuke sighed. "I really think I should get Keiko home."

"Yes, some night out on the town for her I'm certain." Hiei accused. "If you protect your girlfriend as well as you protect yourself I'm amazed she's still alive."

"Shut up!" Yusuke yelled. "Now tell me what you want or beat it!"

Hiei's frown deepened, but as he moved to speak a great bolt of lightening shot through the sky and shattered the air.

"What? It's not supposed to rain." Keiko commented, moving closer to the duo.

"Just goes to show you how much a weatherman is worth." Yusuke commented.

"This is no storm." Hiei stated, his eyes following the random lightening strikes.

"No? Then what it is it almighty know-it-all?"

"This is what I came to tell you about." Hiei turned his gaze back to the detective. "There's been a tear in the fabric of reality." Yusuke frowned, a blank expression forming on his face. The female he was with listened in fearful interest. Hiei wondered if it was wise to talk about such things in front of her, but then remembered she had been there during the Dark Tournament with Yukina and Kuwabara's brother. She was probably trustworthy. More so than the actual detective for certain.

"It's a rip in the barriers between different realities. Or dimensions. They've been opening and closing all over the universe. As a result, the world is being altered."

"Isn't this Koenma's department?"

"He doesn't know what it is either."

"Well then what an _I_ supposed to do?"

"Nothing." Hiei answered. "Not yet. Koenma just wants you to keep an eye out. Don't do anything stupid."

"Aww, so is _that_ why you were watching out for me?"

Hiei sighed and rolled his eyes. Poising to leap to the nearest rooftop for an escape from this social nightmare, Hiei kneeled slightly. But another bolt of lightening struck down where he stood, and in a second he was gone.

"Hiei!" Yusuke yelled, reaching out where the fire demon stood just a moment before. "HIEI!"

"What happened?" Keiko whispered.

"I don't know..." Yusuke answered, his eyes twitching in nervous fear. "C'mon, lets get you home before something else happens."

"All right."

When Hiei was finally able to open his eyes, he knew he was not in the alley. Keiko and Yusuke were nowhere to be seen, so he knew he was alone. The question was, alone where?

"Well, what do you know?" came a familiar voice. Hiei looked up, trying to make his eyes focus on the figure before him. The floor was cold beneath him. Stone perhaps, or a metal or tile of some sort. "Is it truly? The greatest fire demon of his day? Hiei Jaganshi?"

"What do you want?" Hiei groaned.

"You'll know in due time, master demon."

Cold clamps and shackles fell hard across Hiei's wrists and ankles. Another around his neck, and two about his knees to keep him from easily moving his legs.

"Where am I?"

Hiei only barley heard the answer as he fell into a dark oblivion.

"A future you can not begin to imagine."

****

Author's Note: _Oh gee, what's happening here? Don't worry, I won't hurt Hiei. Too much._

And don't worry Inuyasha fans. He's coming! Next chapter!

Thanks for all the reviews so far.


	4. Chapter Four: Revised

Shippou clung close to Kagome as the storm overhead wailed. The small shack that the team had found for cover was in truth barely enough to shelter them. The walls practically shook every time thunder resounded overhead, and puddles of water were forming where the roof was not adequately covered.

"Kagome, I'm scared!" The fox child whimpered in her shirt, closing his eyes tight against the torrential storm.

"Don't worry," she smiled, trying her best to comfort the poor thing. "The storm will pass soon and you'll wake up and see a beautiful bright morning with a clear sky and a brilliant sun." Kagome looked up and out of a nearby window. "Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

There was no answer. The young human girl looked around for the half dog demon and found him sitting near the entrance way that was barred shut by both him and Miroku, the young monk with an aspiration that was not so closely related to his works. (This could be noted by the longing glances he would often send toward Sango who was resting quietly nearby.)

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called again. But the half-demon remained unresponsive. His golden eyes bore into the ground he sat on, and his ears twitched as his mind sorted out their predicament. Neither Kagome or the others could realize that this was no natural storm. The lightening was unnatural. Too many times is struck the ground. Regular lightening rarely hit the earth. Why was nearly every strike hitting the ground now? And it wasn't hitting trees, either. It seemed to be striking in the most random of places, where Inuyasha was certain there were a number of villages. Villages that contained strong, but peaceful demons.

But was there anyone powerful enough to conjure such a storm? This wasn't Naraku's style, and Kagura was not powerful enough to have made a storm go on for as many hours as this one had.

Stubborn little imp, whoever they are. Inuyasha thought. _Doesn't matter. We should be safe in here._

But just as the thought entered the half-demon's mind, a crash of lightening split through the shack and sent shards of wood scattering to the four winds. Kagome screamed as she was thrown outward, and Shippou with her. Sango was also pulled out, Miroku grabbing a hold of her arm in hopes that they wouldn't be separated.

Inuyasha cried out as the light blinded his eyes. The heat seared his arms and face, burning his hair and giving off a terrible odor.

"INUYASHA!!!" screamed Kagome.

The half-demon tried to open his eyes, but he was still partially blinded from the lightening strike.

"Kagome!" He yelled, groping along the wet grass. "Where are you?" There was no answer after that, only the echoing sound of thunder and the dull thud of rain against the ground. "Damn it," the demon growled. "KAGOME!!"

He continued to crawl along the grass until his hand caught hold of a thin and chilled wrist.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered, inching closer. "Kagome, are you all right?"

"Inuyasha, what happened to your eyes?" He still couldn't open them, and there were burns on his face. He could feel as the rain bit into his injuries, making the wounds sting furiously. "And your face, you're hurt!" she reached our and touched the charred skin. Inuyasha could only wince.

"You're cold," he observed as the rain came down in hard torrents, as though trying to beat both of their bodies. In a forced motion he threw his own body over her to keep Kagome warm and dry. The wind was bitterly cold, more so than any winter he had known. It was unnatural. Far too unnatural, and it made the half-demon's skin crawl.

Suddenly, the world became unbearably bright again. Inuyasha tensed. Kagome screamed underneath him, and in the distance he could hear Miroku and Sango yelling as well. Another bolt came crashing down into the duo as another swallowed up Inuyasha and Kagome. He wrapped his arms as tight as he could around her and gritted his teeth against the pain.

"INUYASHA!" she screamed, and then all went silent. The demon found himself in a dark room against a cold floor, with his arms empty.

"Where am I?" he moaned, trying desperately to open his eyes. "Kagome? Where are you?" he reached out to find her, and gripped only cold metal chains. "What the? Where am I?"

"You'll find out in due time." answered a voice. Inuyasha tilted his head in the direction of the sound.

"Who are you? And where the hell's Kagome?"

"She's safe." came the answer. "For now."

"What the hell do you mean 'for now?'"

"I mean what I said. Participate and I'll release her."

"What do you want from me?"

"I would very much appreciate if you would acquiesce to a few of my...demands."

"And what sort of demands would those be?" the half-demon snarled.

"Nothing much," the man answered. Inuyasha still could not see him due to the injury to his eyes. But he could smell him well enough and did not like the scent. He didn't seem to be human at all, but was definitely not a demon. This both angered and slightly frightened Inuyasha, especially since this strange creature claimed to have Kagome. "Just...be a good boy."

Inuyasha snarled, and in a blind rage launched himself in the direction of the voice. But the half-demon was suddenly stopped when a cold clamp slapped itself around his right ankle. Another came down brutally upon his left ankle, causing him to fall hard to the floor.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, and moved to stand. But two more clamps entwined themselves about his arms, and finally one more around his neck.

"Now now, isn't that better?" asked the voice. "Can't have my best pet running away now," he started to walk away, slowly. Inuyasha could imagine the victorious smirk across his face and gritted his teeth in anger. "Time to take care of your friends now." And with that, a door slammed shut, leaving Inuyasha undeniably alone in this small chamber, save for the scent of another nearby demon.

Inuyasha lifted his ears in interest. It was a scent of burning wood and spilt blood to him, and at the same time a fine hint of rose.

"Strange," he nearly chuckled. "Fire demons don't usually acquire the scent of fine flowers."

"That scent would be from the weapon of a good friend of mine, dog demon." answered the prisoner. There was a shaky sigh from the stranger before he continued his conversation. "Are you to be my roommate then?"

"Seems that way to me." Inuyasha answered. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"I've been thinking of a plan, but if my nose still serves me you're in no condition to be leaving just yet."

"What do you care? You're a demon!"

"So are you," answered the other. "Well, at least half demon anyway," he stopped. The shifting of metal chains could be heard during the pause. Inuyasha worried that he might be moving closer. Immediately he sat up from where he lay and started to move toward the nearest wall, or whatever solid backing he could reach. "I'm not interested in killing you, fool." the fire demon stated. "You're too easy prey in the condition you're in now. I prefer my victims to have full capability of defending themselves. Makes the battle more interesting." There was another pause. "Anyway, I've been here for a few hours. He doesn't come down save for when someone new has arrived. I don't know where we are, but it's not from where I'm from and I'm pretty sure you're a stranger here too." he stopped. Again he was moving closer, but Inuyasha didn't do anything to defend himself. Like the fire demon had stated, he couldn't defend himself, and despite the tough guy attitude this guy was putting on, Inuyasha could pick out that he was in no real condition for a battle himself.

"Well, if we're going to be working together to get out of here," Inuyasha stated, "We'd better learn each other's names. "

"Very well," came the fire demon. "What's yours?"

Inuyasha snarled. He hated it when his own maneuvers were put against him. He had intended to get this fire demon's name without giving his own. But that wasn't going to work.

Ah well, what was in a name after all? Right?

"Inuyasha."

There was a pause, as though the name was being considered.

"I'm Hiei."

Author's Note:_ Well, who the heck did you think it was? Lol. More to come? You better believe it._


	5. Chapter Five: Revised

Yusuke went to bed that night feeling strangely vulnerable. He knew well enough that Hiei was not a person he could call his best friend, and that often the demon preferred to leave without being noticed, but for Hiei to make a sudden exit in that manner was not his style. In fact, Yusuke wasn't even sure that Hiei had intended such an exit. There was a look of utter surprise and horror upon the fire demon's face when the bolt had crashed into him that had made Yusuke fearful for a moment. Was it a new trick he'd cooked up, or was Hiei in trouble?

The question haunted Yusuke through the night. Terrible dreams plagued his sleep. Dark visions of death and betrayal, all ending in a hopeless swirl of defeat and broken trust. The surreal images were more frightening than anything a realistic image could have told Yusuke, and the fact that he'd not eaten anything awkward to promote such strange premonitions only heightened his worries.

When morning broke in a dizzying array of bright reds and piercing oranges, Yusuke found himself being stared down by a cheery pair of pink eyes. Yelling out in surprise, he rolled over and met the floor face to face.

"Good morning, sleepy head." greeted the strangely accented voice.

"Morning, Botan." Yusuke grumbled, his head not yet lifted from the floor. "What do you want? Isn't it a little early for the bosses regular doughnut run?"

"Now now!" stated the young woman, batting her eyes and sticking a finger to her cheek in the quaint manner that was undeniably the bubbly Botan from head to toe. "That won't do. Koenma's wondering what happened to Hiei last night."

"Uh, Hiei?" Yusuke asked, pushing himself up and pulling himself back into bed.

"Yes silly. Hiei. You know; short, black hair, bad temper, three eyes. Sort of hard to miss really. Especially that last part. You've only known him for, what? At least a year now?"

"Yeah yeah, a shade under five feet, bad attitude, a regular ass on occasion; I know who you're talking about Botan." Yusuke frowned. Stretching and yawning, he tried to feign that he didn't really give a damn. "So, what do you want?"

"Koenma is worried."

"About Hiei?" Yusuke nearly choked to death on the air he was breathing. "Since when? I'd think Binkie Breath would be happy to not have him to worry about."

"Well, that might have been the case _before_ Hiei became such a valuable asset to your team, Yusuke." Botan stated. A surprising glimmer of concern flickered in her eyes, and even Yusuke had to admit that despite Hiei's temper, they'd come to care about him. He was, after all, a member of the team.

"He just disappeared," Yusuke stated, leaning back on his pillows, head resting in his folded arms. "A flash of lightening and 'poof', the little jerk is gone."

"Bolt of lightening, eh?" Botan repeated inquisitively. "That's not good."

"What do ya mean?" Yusuke frowned. "I wouldn't be surprised to find that this was just a trick of his, if you ask me."

"Well yes, one _could_ say that," Botan went on, "if this hadn't been happening before."

"What?!" Yusuke sat straight up on his bed. "What do you mean, happening before?"

"I mean that demons all over have been disappearing in the same manner. Strong, powerful demons. One minute they're there, their signal, their energy signature and everything, and then a storm breezes by, and after that they're gone."

"Gone?" Yusuke repeated.

"That's right, smart boy." Botan frowned, bopping his nose with a finger. "And Hiei's not the first to go. The strange thing is it's not just here. It's happening everywhere!"

"I thought you established that fact already?" Yusuke pointed out blatantly. Botan gave a cheesy grin. The one she gave when she knew something and wasn't telling. Yusuke raised an eyebrow, impatiently awaiting whatever information she was hiding which was only going to be revealed in due time.

"Well, you see, the thing is Yusuke..." she trailed off, as if trying to decide how best to word what she was about to say. "You know how there is a spirit world and a human world?"

"Naturally." he answered.

"Well, along with the different worlds, there are also different....well....sort of like dimensions."

"Dimensions?" Yusuke frowned. "Why am I not liking this?"

"Oh it gets rich, Yusuke." Botan warned. "You see, Spirit World obviously oversees all of this because, well, every dimension and realm has it's dead, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, so Koenma has a certain amount of control over each and every dimension. One of the bits he does control is his ability to keep a lookout for almost any and all demons."

"All right, I follow."

"Well, demons have been disappearing not only in this world, but in others as well."

"WHAT!?!" Yusuke leapt from the bed in a state of rage. "Are you telling me there's more than one world we're dealing with? Well where the hell are they all going?"

"Well, um...we don't know, Yusuke." Botan admitted with a sad sigh. "We can't trace them."

"So what does that mean for Hiei?"

"That means...he's on his own until we can find where everyone is going." Botan dropped her gaze in sad concern. Yusuke, on the other hand, was very angry. He slammed his fist hard into the nearest wall he could find and gritted his teeth.

"That's not good enough, Botan!" he snarled. "Hiei could be dead by then!"

"Now, Yusuke!" Botan lectured, frowning at the uncharacteristic pessimistic behavior. "You know darn well that Hiei can take care of himself."

"YEAH, IN A NORMAL SITUATION!" Yusuke was hollering now. "WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HELL HE IS OR WHO WE'RE DEALING WITH! FOR ALL WE KNOW SOMEONE'S GATHERING RANDOM DEMONS INTO A HELL PIT SOMEWHERE AND KILLING THEM FOR SPORT!"

"Now Yusuke, do calm yourself!" Botan pleaded. "We don't know anything yet and I would very much like it if you kept your cool. So would Koenma. Kurama doesn't know yet."

"Damn it..." Yusuke cursed. "When is Koenma planning on telling him?"

"Uh," Yusuke turned to look in Botan's direction. A frown formed into his already darkening features at the sound of her hesitancy. "Actually, Koenma requested that you do it."

"WHAT!?!" Yusuke yelled. "Hell no! He'll take my head off with his freaking Rose Whip, no matter who's there to see it."

"Now Yusuke, give Kurama some credit. He's not prone to angry outbursts like _some_ people we know." Botan accused. "Now come on. Koenma is very busy trying to get to the bottom of this. The least you could do is try and find Kurama and tell him that Hiei is missing."

Yusuke sighed, leaning his body against the wall and angling his head so that he might take a peak at the rising sun.

"Fine," Yusuke spat. "But if he kills me, I swear I'll give you hell about it."

Botan grinned brightly. "Wouldn't be much different then now, would it Yusuke?"

Yusuke threw on a jacket that evening after school had ended and began walking toward Kurama's house. It took a while since he lived so far away, but Yusuke's head was too far elsewhere to notice the time it had taken him to pass Kurama's house. He thought to stop and see if Kurama was home, but then he remembered being told that Kurama rarely came home on time from school. He stayed after to do extra research or to get ahead on work.

"Lousy show off." Yusuke grumbled, jamming his hands deep into his pockets and frowning at his street shoes. "It's bad enough he's already as smart as he is. He has to make the rest of us idiots look bad as well."

Suddenly, Yusuke thought back to Keiko. In a way she was the same way. The top of her class, always staying after for Student Council work and what not. She was a regular genius herself. But she never made anyone around her feel stupid. It wasn't that different with Kurama. He never really _made_ anyone feel ignorant, it was just understandable that he was a supremely intelligent being. Of course, having been demon in a sort of 'past life' helped in that area.

As all these different thoughts swept through Yusuke's mind, he absently struck the side of a student while walking.

"Huh, oh sorry." he muttered as he continued on. But as he started walking again, Yusuke felt a hand grip tightly down upon his shoulder and squeeze. Hard.

"I don't think you are, punk." came the response. Yusuke sighed. He didn't really have time for a fight.

"Maybe I'm not." Yusuke responded. "What's it to you?"

"Well, I think maybe we should teach you some manners."

The man was tall. Taller than Yusuke, which really wasn't an impossible feat. He had blonde curly hair and dull green eyes, and the look of an ogre. Probably had the brains of one too. He had a few cronies, at least two on each shoulder, with him, giving the supposed odds to the group instead of Yusuke.

"Maybe another time." Yusuke stated.

"Oh no, I think not."

In no time, a fist was flying toward Yusuke's head from his right. The experienced fighter easily dodged the blow. He wrapped his left hand around the wrist, and then with his right elbow dealt a blow to his attacker's ribs, sending him down to the ground for a good period of time.

Then it was the man in the middle's turn. He lashed out his foot high enough to take Yusuke's head for a good spin around his shoulders. But his business having been done with attacker number one, Yusuke was well ready for the next launch. He dodged the foot easily and using both hands (left hand around the knee, another on the mans...well....you know,) Yusuke lifted him and then let him drop hard enough for the others to get the point.

"Anybody else want a piece of the action?" Yusuke grinned. Suddenly his blood was boiling, and his mission forgotten. The young man was now completely focused in on the fight. Until a large shadow fell over him from behind. "Oh, crap," Yusuke sighed, gritting his teeth. "Who's this? You're fifth minion?"

"Something like that," came the answer behind him. Two large hands gripped his shoulders and squeezed hard. Whoever this was, they were no student. But they were undeniably human. An adult?

"Yusuke!" a familiar voice yelled.

Suddenly the hands fell and so did their owner. Unconscious to the ground, for at least a few moments.

"Hey Kurama!" Yusuke greeted with a childish grin. "Funny running into you here."

"I suppose." Answered the young man. He stood before Yusuke with a raised eyebrow, his school case held tightly in one hand. Yusuke guessed he'd used it to knock out the grown man who was about to use Yusuke as a throw rug. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a friend."

Kurama chuckled. "Would I be that friend or am I mistaken?"

"No, right as usual Kurama."

The young red head smiled. "Are you going my way?" he asked.

"Yeah. I passed your place a while back I think. I wasn't really paying attention."

Kurama smiled, as though he would expect no less of his companion.

"Well, seeing as to we're both going in that direction, you can tell me whatever it is you needed to."

"All right." Yusuke grinned. They each nodded to one another, and with a look up and down the street they bolted from the scene. Two kids and one adult lay unconscious, and neither one felt like being questioned over the matter.

"So, what is it that you needed?" Kurama asked as they neared his house.

"Uh," Yusuke stopped. They'd not talked about it during their bolt to safety, nor on the rest of their casual stroll home. "What I wanted to tell you?"

Kurama nodded. "You don't usually come all this way to find me for a nice chat, Yusuke. I assumed something was wrong."

"Uh," Yusuke's brain went numb. So did part of his body. How did you tell a guy his best friend was missing? Just like that, he supposed. "Kurama, I have to tell you something..."

"Yes."

"Last night I...Keiko and I went out and...we were confronted by this man." Yusuke stopped, struggling for words that would not come.

Kurama frowned. "Is Keiko all right?"

"Yeah!" Yusuke breathed. "Fine. Just fine."

"Oh," Kurama smiled. "Well, that's good."

"But that's not what I wanted to tell you."

"No, I wouldn't think so." Kurama grinned. They were stopped in front of his place now, and Yusuke knew that this was it.

"Well, Hiei came to our rescue, sort of speak, and well, afterward he...disappeared."

"Your attacker?"

"No. Hiei."

"Oh," Kurama eyed Yusuke awkwardly. "Well, Hiei was always one for quiet exits."

"No no, you don't understand. Not like that. I mean...a storm blew through almost immediately after and...I don't really know what happened. Some lightening came down and zapped him and...suddenly...no more Hiei."

At that point, Kurama fell silent. His eyes were widening as Yusuke built up to this point. but now they seemed only a fraction of a second away from falling out of Kurama's head.

"He's....dead?"

"I don't know." Yusuke answered. He gazed down at the sidewalk, unable to meet his friend's gaze. "He was there, then gone. And I don't think this was a trick of his either."

"No." Kurama answered immediately. "No, Hiei was not a master of that element. He had nothing to do with whatever happened."

Yusuke nodded. "Well, Koenma wanted me to tell you. He's trying to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Apparently Hiei's not the only one to disappear like this. All over the place, and different dimensions."

"Different dimensions?" Kurama frowned.

"Uh, yeah. At least that's what Botan said. Um look, I don't really know how to make you feel better about what's happened to Hiei, but...when Koenma figures it out I'll take care of them personally."

"I'm sure you will," Kurama stated, his gaze not quite focusing on anything in particular at the moment. Yusuke nodded and started off to leave, but Kurama called after him one last time before entering his home.

"Yusuke!"

"Yeah?"

Kurama gazed deeply at the young fighter, setting Yusuke a little off ease. "If Koenma can get you to wherever these demons are being sent...tell him that I will be coming with you."

Yusuke smiled and nodded his head to reassure him. "No prob."

With that, Kurama nodded and headed inside. Yusuke also started home, feeling slightly better, and yet at the same time, incredibly worse.

Author's Note: _Ah what writing at to in the morning doesn't do for you. Right? Well, here it is. When is this story ever going to get started? Don't worry, the action's coming. As soon as I go get some food._


	6. Chapter Six

"So, what's your brilliant plan?" Asked Inuyasha, still gnawing on his chains and shackles.

Hiei snarled in annoyance. This new companion of his was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had originally anticipated.

"I thought dogs were loyal and trusting?" he chided. "And _quiet_."

"Shut up."

"_You_ happen to be the one making all the noise. Why don't _you _be quiet, and _I'll _worry about how to get out of here."

"You could at least tell me how you--broke the--chains!" Inuyasha growled in between struggling to pull himself from his bonds. There was no answer, but he could sense that Hiei was coming closer. Silently he braced himself for perhaps a move that would take his head off, or permanently cripple him from fighting back.

"Calm down, dog." the demon sighed, kneeling to grasp the chains. "I'm not going to kill you. At least not now, while you're still of some use to me."

"Well gee that's nice to know." Inuyasha stated sarcastically. "Tell me, is this how you introduce yourself to all your friends?"

"I don't need friends." Hiei retorted, tugging once, twice, three times on the chains and with a blow from his katana they were broken.

"Hey!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I tried that with the Tetsusaiga and it didn't work!"

"That's probably because your sword has a magic in it. Whoever this man is, he's expecting that," Hiei spoke. "My sword has no magic forged in it's metals. It's just a sword."

"So how do you fight with it?" Inuyasha asked, standing and flexing his wrists and ankles.

"I learn not to rely on one attack to win my battles." and with that spoken Hiei slipped back into the darkness, and even though Inuyasha could still follow the fire demon's scent just fine, he still wondered if there was something else this little imp was hiding.

This Hiei was definitely more powerful than he looked. He kept all things hidden inside and never let anything out. Inuyasha admired that, but he also distrusted it.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Nothing." Hiei answered. "Be patient, won't you?"

__

Easy for you to say... Inuyasha thought as his mind drifted back to Kagome and the others, and where they might be.

Yusuke waited outside the school the next day, awaiting the arrival of Botan, Kuwabara, an Kurama. He talked to Keiko before she started off for home. When she asked if he would accompany her home, he began explaining to her just why he was sitting around after hours on school ground.

"Oh," she sighed. "Well, tell them Keiko says 'Hi'" she chimed, then walked off home. Yusuke's eyes followed her longingly for some time before at last letting them fall to the ground. He wished that Keiko could have lead a normal life, but ever since he'd been hit by that car nothing had been normal. Especially for Keiko.

"Ding ding," came a voice from overhead. "Not a good time to be a space cadet, Yusuke."

Yusuke frowned and looked up to see a cheery Botan hovering over his head.

"Hello Botan," he replied grouchily.

"My my," she chided, coming to a rest in front of the irritated young man. "We're a ripe old sport today, aren't we?" She looked up and around, pink eyes perusing the school grounds and sidewalks. "Where's the rest of Team Urameshi?"

"Coming," answered a not so distant Kuwabara. He was wearing his typical light blue school uniform, an almost perfect contrast to Yusuke's green one. "Good to see you, Botan."

"The same to you, as always Kuwabara." Botan smiled. "Now, the only one left is-"

"Sorry I'm late."

All looked up to see the red headed, green eyed Kurama staring them down. His thin but strong frame well balanced atop the school wall.

"Ah, hello Kurama." Botan smiled as he leapt from the wall to the street with ease. "Hope we're not keeping you from something."

"Nothing is more important than this." he responded with a smile and a stern tone. Botan and the others considered him for a moment, and deduced that this was probably a personal matter for Kurama after the disappearance of Hiei.

"Are we sure Hiei is really missing?" Kuwabara asked at that time. "I mean, you don't think he just pulled a disappearing act to make us all look like fools?"

"No," Kurama answered. "This was not Hiei's doing."

"It couldn't be anyway," Yusuke continued. "The look on his face when the lightening hit him was a look of surprise and...and something else. Anyway, it wasn't him doing it."

"What was the look?" Kuwabara pressed.

Yusuke shrugged. He didn't want to relive the night anymore than he already had.

"Well," Botan started when the conversation died. "Koenma thinks he has it all figured out!"

"Great. Let's hear it." Yusuke stated eagerly.

"Well, it's rather complicated," she began, placing a finger on her cheek to think. "The entire department has been doing research on these supposed Lightening Disappearances."

"The title's appropriate I suppose." Yusuke commented.

"Yes," Kurama nodded. "Please, continue Botan."

"Well, it seems that these lightening bolts aren't really lightening at all. They're energy waves. Directed through rips in the so called fabric of reality, if I may say."

"You're making sense so far." Yusuke stated.

Botan sighed. "This is where it gets complicated. These rips are occurring all over creation. Literally. Even in different dimensions, times, and worlds."

Kurama's gaze widened as he heard this. "So we're dealing with a foreign enemy?"

"One would think," Botan replied. "But we found that the enemy is not so foreign after all. He's a living, breathing human. On earth. The only thing different is the time period in which he lives."

"Okay, so how far back in time are we going?" Came Kuwabara.

"That's just it. You're not going back. You're going forward."

"In time?" Yusuke asked.

"Precisely." Botan nodded, sliding anxiously on her oar. "Koenma has found the one place in which he can transport you there. But it will be risky."

"Doesn't matter." Kuwabara replied determinedly. "He's got one of our own. We'll find him _and _fight him no matter who or where he is."

The others nodded.

Botan smiled sadly and bowed her head.

"Very well then, of course to be honest we expected no less of you."

Yusuke nodded. "Good to know. So, where are we heading for or shocking departure?"

"Oh, you'll not be going far." Botan grinned. "Just the roof of the school."

"The....what?" Yusuke gawked. His eyes turned to the top of Sarayashiki and nearly fell from his head. Already a blue aura was rippling from the top of his Junior High. "I don't...it's...."

"Not going to be there long if you keep staring at it." Botan laughed. "Come on boys. This is your only chance."

"Right." Yusuke nodded, and together the four of them made their way to the roof.

"Make sure that you don't lose anyone while you're there." Botan warned as she equipped them with their usual gadgets. "You only get one chance to come back home."

"Right." Yusuke nodded.

"And be careful boys," she warned. "I don't want to see you waiting in line at Koenma's office anytime soon. Understand?"

Kuwabara laughed.

"Please, that'll never happen."

"Don't be so certain," Botan pointed an angry finger at him. "You do realize that one of you has died once already and don't even _ask_ me to count the numerous times you've almost died._"_

"Comes with the job description Botan." Yusuke laughed.

"Yes well, make sure this assignment you stay well enough alive to get what you need and come back without missing too many limbs, okay? I don't want to have to tell Keiko you're not coming back this time."

A frown came to Yusuke's face as he considered that. With a nod and a wink, he did what he could to reassure her that he'd bring everyone back alive and well.

Botan smiled and regained her composition.

"All right boys." she smiled. "Good luck."

She backed away far enough to see them and not get hit by the lightening strike.

Suddenly, a dark storm blew in, and lightening flashed between the clouds. Yusuke looked up as the rain came pouring down. It was almost refreshing.

A second later, he spotted a bolt of lightening flying towards them in their tight knit formation. Before he could ready himself, they were all struck.

It was a sensation of searing heat and blistering cold.

The vibrating echo of thunder resounded in his ears as well as the thudding of the rain against his body. Time seemed to stop altogether, break apart, and then mold itself before his eyes even though Yusuke was quite sure he couldn't see anything at all.

The feeling lasted for what seemed to be hours, yet within seconds everything had gone quiet and calm, and he was lying face down in the grass with soft raindrops falling on his body. Opening his eyes and moving his head, he saw Kuwabara and Kurama lying in a similar state a few feet away.

The next thing Yusuke knew, he was drifting into a deep sleep.

The ride was over, but the adventure had just begun.

****

Author's Note: _YAY! We're getting somewhere! Hope you're happy Kat._

Thanks for the reviews everyone.


	7. Chapter Seven

"Yusuke?" whispered a familiar voice into a slightly deafened ear. "Yusuke, are you all right?"

"Hey Urameshi! Wake up man!"

The next thing Yusuke knew he was being violently shaken where he lay.

"Wha...whaaat?" He whined, rolling over. "I don't want to go to school today mom, tell 'em I'm sick."

Kurama chuckled lightly.

"Well it seems he's uninjured," he stated, a smile dancing across his features. "Though conscious and ready is another question entirely."

"Yeah well, I'll get him up." Kuwabara grinned malevolently. Before Kurama could object, he slapped Yusuke hard across the back of the head. Immediately the young man lying on the ground rolled over and sat up, looking quite angry.

"All right, who's the jerk who woke me up?" he demanded. Kurama smiled innocently but said nothing. A second later Yusuke's gaze turned to Kuwabara, who was grinning widely. "Damn it Kuwabara, why'd you have to go and do that? I was having such a nice dream, too."

"We haven't got time for sweet dreams Urameshi. We've got a job to do."

"Oh, right," Yusuke sighed and stood up, looking left and right, then up and down. "Well, we're not dead. So that's a plus."

"Yeah, but where are we?"

"We're still on Earth," Kurama began. "We know that much. And we should still be in Japan as well. The time period is just different."

"How do you figure that?" Yusuke asked with a very blank expression on his face.

"Remember what Botan said?"

"Oh yeah," Yusuke grinned. "So we're still where we were, only a few years later. Hey, I wonder what old me looks like." He laughed.

"We're a bit too far into the future to find anything out about that," Kurama stated. "By the feel of things, and the smell, I'd say we're a good one hundred years ahead of our present time."

"One hundred years!?" Yusuke and Kuwabara yelled simultaneously.

"Botan didn't say we were going _that_ far ahead," Yusuke frowned.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed. "We're practically in a foreign country now, even if it is home. Or was. Who knows what's happened to everything by now?"

"Indeed," Kurama stated gently. "We had best stay on guard."

"Right." Yusuke nodded.

At that, they started off. Kuwabara and Kurama walked side by side with Yusuke taking up the rear. Luckily for all of them they'd fallen into a forest, where their awkward arrival would not have been noticed, nor their presence accounted for.

The walk was mostly silent. None of the companions found much reason to speak, even the usually loquacious Kuwabara. The only sound that resounded throughout the forest was their footsteps, along with the occasional snapping of a twig that Kuwabara would carelessly step on. After a while it became a game for Yusuke, and just for the sheer amusement of it, and to keep his sanity in check from the silence and worry, Kurama joined in as well.

Snap.

"Twenty one." Yusuke would echo back.

Snap.

"Twenty two." Kurama would respond.

And so on. The game continued until at last they reached the end of the forest, and came across a civilization unlike anything they had ever expected of the future.

"Nothing's changed." Yusuke whispered in amazement. "Nothing at all."

"Well that's disappointing." Kuwabara sighed.

"Well, if you think about it, the human race has advanced considerably. Due to diminishing resources and the inability to expand the population, it's really not surprising that they haven't advanced much."

With a blank expression on his face, Kuwabara leaned over Yusuke's shoulder.

"What did he just say?"

Yusuke shrugged.

"Who knows. We'd better get moving before someone realizes that we're not from around here."

Kuwabara and Kurama both nodded. They had to look as inconspicuous as possible where they were at now. One wrong move and they might be in big trouble.

"So, where do you think we start?" asked Kuwabara. "Should we ask around?"

"Oh, that's a cheery survey," Yusuke criticized. "'Excuse me, do you know of any demon collectors around here?'"

"Well it's something." Kuwabara grumbled.

"Yes well, lets just look around first and see what we're dealing with.," suggested Kurama. "After that we can determine what needs to be done."

"Think we may have any possible allies in this?" Kuwabara asked the fox demon.

"It's hard to say," answered Kurama. "But for now it would be safe to assume that no one here is an ally."

Yusuke nodded. With a few glances around, the trio started off at a brisk pace. Until a lighthearted voice called out to them.

"You boys aren't from around here, are you?" Yusuke and the others froze, each in turn aiming their gaze in the direction the voice came from. A young girl of about sixteen approached them casually. Her hands were shoved into the pockets of a black jacket. One white line ran down each sleeve, and a hood lined with gray hung limply behind her. She had cropped blonde hair and tri tone eyes that ranged from a deep blue, a forest green, and a soft gray.

"Um, no." Kuwabara answered, taken off by this young girl. She was a shade taller than five feet, and was traveling alone. The funny thing about her was that she did not seem to fear them. In fact, she was quite eager about their arrival. This set them all off, and for a moment Yusuke was afraid that they had been expected. Kurama nudged him gently in the side and whispered in his ear.

"She doesn't carry the scent of a human."

Yusuke frowned and took a closer look at the girl from behind Kuwabara. She had spirit energy emanating from her! Bright orange energy that had no aim or direct control. Whatever she was, she hadn't been it for very long.

"Um, would you mind telling us your name?" Kurama chimed in with an charming, innocent grin.

"My name?" she asked. "I don't exactly have one," her answer confused the trio, but Kurama pressed harder.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners. I suppose it would be appropriate to introduce myself first. I am Kurama, and these are my friends, Kuwabara and Yusuke."

The young woman eyed them for a few seconds longer, as though considering these names and weight the possible truths against lies.

"I'm Kigeko." She answered.

"Kigeko," Kurama repeated with a grin. "What a lovely name. Could you tell us about this place? You see, we're new here and really have no idea where we're going."

"Yeah, that's obvious." Kigeko stated. Her sarcasm and charisma matched the level of someone they knew well. "You don't exactly want to be going in the direction you were heading."

"Why not?" Asked Kuwabara. At that question, Kigeko frowned deep and stepped back.

"You really _aren't_ from around here, are you?"

This was making Yusuke very angry. Whoever or whatever she was, she was stalling, and they needed information fast. Breaking past both Kurama and Kuwabara, he reached the young woman and grabbed the collar of her jacket, lifting her high off the ground.

"Listen, we don't have time for crap! Whatever you are, you're not human! And I think part of you knows that we're not either. What's going on here? Or am I going to have to break your neck to find out?"

Kurama choked on his words, knowing very well that this was not the way to approach a complete stranger, especially one of this person's stamina. Kuwabara merely frowned on Yusuke's actions, thinking it very low to be picking on a young girl. Even though he too sensed her power, he would never willingly lay a harmful hand on her.

"Oh, I see what you are now." Kigeko stated with a smile. Yusuke watched her face contort into that grin, and the further on. Fangs sprouted where her canines had been, and the tri tone eyes suddenly became a possessed fiery red. The blonde hair curled out at the ends giving the effect of horns, and her ears changed from rounded human ears to pointed, almost elf like ears.

Both of her hands wrapped themselves around Yusuke's wrists and squeezed with terrible power. The fingers were long and thin, containing claw-like nails that could undoubtedly pierce human flesh with ease. She didn't grow any taller, but it was clear that her anger and her strength were closely related.

Lifting her feet, she kicked Yusuke twice. One with each foot. One blow was aimed for his diaphragm, and the other for a more sensitive region down south. Both blows were unexpected and sent Yusuke to the ground, but he was able to recover quickly.

"All right, now you've pissed me off." Yusuke gritted his teeth. Throwing his green school uniform shirt aside, he prepared himself to shoot off one round from his spirit gun. But a steady hand from Kurama stopped him.

"Wait!" he encouraged.

"Forget that!" Yusuke snarled, and with a wicked snarl he unleashed the first wave of his spirit gun. The blow hit Kigeko square in the chest and sent her flying into a nearby shop's wall. The smoke cleared to reveal her buried under a pile of rubble, unmoving.

"Yusuke!" Kurama scolded.

"It's not like I killed her," the young man objected, blowing off the tip of his finger as though it were a real gun. Then, shoving both hands into his pockets, he started walking off. Until;

"URAMESHI LOOK OUT!"

Yusuke turned to find the red eyed demon flying back at him.

"WHA-?" He cried out as her claws slashed across his face, leaving deep and bleeding incisions. "How did you get up from that so quickly!?"

Kigeko, so called, landed on all fours a few feet away, her nails digging into the side of the concrete and leaving deep incisions there as well. Yusuke counted himself lucky to have been able to dodge at all, and prepared himself for a next clawing lest he desire lose his nose and eyes.

"I may not be a fully evolved demon," she hissed. "But I'm stronger than one for sure."

"I don't understand!" Kuwabara whispered, but as he turned to speak to Kurama he found himself alone. The red headed youkai had placed himself protectively in front of the kneeling Yusuke with his rose whip at the ready.

"We do not wish to hurt you!" he cried out, "We need your help. We have lost a friend to a demon hunter and must get him back. Please, if you help us, we can help you!"

"HELP ME?" The girl shrieked. "I NEED NO HELP! I CAN MASTER MY POWERS ON MY OWN!"

Kurama frowned, and with a flick of his wrist he slashed across the girl's face, leaving a deep gash. She hissed as the weak venom from the thorns stung the wound.

"What are you doing?" Yusuke grunted behind him. "You said her anger powered her strength! You're only succeeding in pissing her off more!"

"Yes, but there's a downside to having your anger be your main source of power." Kurama responded, slashing at her again and again with the whip.

"Yeah?"

"If a person gets angry enough, eventually their rage will blind them. I'm hoping that this will work with her as well, though she has learned to focus her anger quite well. If you can tell, the shape and direction of her spirit energy has changed drastically within these last few minutes of experiencing conflict."

At hearing this, Yusuke poked his head out from behind Kurama and observed. The wave emanations had changed incredibly since when Yusuke last studied them. He was slightly impressed, and at the same time stunned at this. This girl was once human! He could tell by the vague rounded curves of the waves, but judging by how she could take this energy and morph it into an actual physical transformation told Yusuke and the others that she was, in truth, a demon. How was this possible for a human to become a demon? The only case in which he could recall such a situation was with the Toguro brothers, but their transformation had been unnatural. This change within Kigeko had been natural. Somehow her nature had changed.

What natural force could cause this?

"I don't understand." Yusuke whispered.

"Nor do I," answered Kurama.

Kigeko merely stared them down, her red eyes flaring in rage. For the first time in her life she could test her skills. And against someone worthy. These men, whoever they were, were not human. If she managed to kill them, then it wouldn't matter. A demon could kill another demon without consequences, but she knew better than to target a living human.

"This is going to be good," she laughed, then launched her next attack.

****

Author's Note: _Dun dun duuuuuun!!! Lol, well how's it so far? Hope this didn't get too....oh I dunno....well I hope you liked it!_


	8. Chapter Eight: Revised

Pronunciation Guide

Kigeko ----- Ki (like in "kick") gee (G like 1st g in "garage") ko (like in "cope"

Imashirou ------ Ee-mah-shee-roo (I would guess)

------

**__**

Kagome awoke to find herself chained to a stone wall. The chamber was freezing cold, so much that if she had any light at all she believed she'd be able to see her breath. Shuddering, she tried desperately to open her eyes against the agonizing pain that seemed centered within her temples. With a slow and slight twist of her aching head, Kagome looked around to confirm whether or not she was alone.

It's too dark to see anything in here, she thought to herself. Sighing, Kagome lifted her head and called out for Inuyasha. No answer. Then she tried for Shippou. Again, nothing.

"Sango?" Still no answer. "Miroku?"

"I'm afraid you're quite alone in here," answered a deep and luscious voice from seemingly nowhere.

"What?" Kagome looked around in a sudden state of panic, demanding her eyes immediately to focus. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Where are my friends?"

"They're quite safe, my dear," came the response. Kagome flinched, the sound of footsteps told her that the owner of that voice was getting closer. "For now."

"Get away from me!" she yelled, though the pain in her head pleaded against such an action. But this man had other ideas. Without warning, a strong hand leapt from the darkness and grabbed her face at the chin, turning her head idly to the left and right over and over again.

"You're a very pretty girl," he commented. Leaning forward, he pressed his nose up against the crook between her jaw and her neck. Kagome shuddered in disgust at this man's having touched her. "Do you know that?"

"Don't you touch me!" she shrieked against him.

"Or what?" the man asked, chuckling malevolently. He moved over to the other side of her head and did the same thing. Again Kagome shuddered, this time severe chills ran down her back as he did it, and not from the coldness of the room. "Your friends will come to save you?" he stopped, moving both his head and hers till they were eye to eye. His eyes, she saw now that a low light was provided from a window above, were a lovely shade of green, a hint of earthly brown mixed in with them. They were the eyes of a knowledgeable man, but at the same time there was a strange glimmer in those earthly depths. The glimmer of a man's insatiable lust, and Kagome was there to satisfy that hunger. "I don't believe that will be happening anytime soon, my dear." He leaned forward and kissed her right temple, staying that way for sometime. Kagome did not fight back. There was no way that she could!

"What do you want from me?" she whimpered, hating herself for feeling so helpless and weak.

"Just to be still," he whispered.

------

Kigeko launched herself at Kurama. Despite the biting sting of the whip she was able to reach the annoying red head and pin him down to the ground.

"You have underestimated me, I see?" she snarled, raising a clawed hand.

"Please," Kurama begged. "We do not wish to harm you! But we will if we must. We desire your assistance!"

"Forget it!" Kigeko responded, her red eyes pulsating as her anger intensified. "You'll turn me in just like the others!"

"Turn you in?" Kurama frowned. "To whom?"

"What do you mean, to whom?" she snarled. "You know damn well who I mean! Imashirou! He's been collecting us for years now!"

Kurama's eyes widened as he realized he was getting exactly the kind of information he needed from her. Yusuke pulled himself upward and aimed his Spirit Gun again, but Kurama turned his head.

"No! Wait! Don't shoot her!"

At this statement, Kigeko, Yusuke, and Kuwabara frowned.

"She's going to kill you if I don't!" Yusuke argued.

"She won't," Kurama answered. "She isn't capable of that yet."

Kigeko's eyes flared once more with rage, and a clawed hand was suddenly holding very fast to Kurama's throat.

"Don't bet on it." she exclaimed.

"Oh I would," Kurama answered, amazingly calm for someone who's life was being choked away from them. "For all the strength and hatred you possess, you still don't hold the heartlessness to actually take a life. Not like this."

"You would know?" Kigeko mockingly inquired.

Kurama gave a charming smile. "You would be surprised what strangers know." And with that he slipped his legs beneath her body and easily kicked her from him. Kigeko shrieked in rage as she was thrown from her pray, and landing cat like on her feet she began to eye her next target.

Kurama had fully regained himself, weapon and all, and was poised to another attack. Yusuke was on his feet, shaky but prepared to fight. The only one not fighting or taking any part in this was the taller red head they had called Kuwabara. Kigeko considered him for a moment but decided that he was not worthy prey. Her eyes turned questioningly back to the other two. The sincere gazes of determination met hers with an awe inspiring stance that gave the impression that they might have been a trio fighting till the death. But that wasn't the case.

It was Kurama who broke the silence between the fighters, once again.

"I know what you're thinking, Kigeko, but you cannot defeat us. Please, if you help us we will in turn help you. We are not your enemies!"

"Is that so?" she asked. "Prove it to me! Prove to me that you do not work for Imashirou! Then maybe, _maybe_ I will believe you."

"What sort of proof do you want?!" Yusuke hollered at her. "We don't know this man or what he does! We just want to get our friend back and go home!"

"Is Imashirou the one collecting your kind?" Kurama asked. "Is he the one who is hunting demons?" Kurama paused, then steadied a knowing gaze at the young girl. "Is he hunting you as well?"

Suddenly, Kigeko laughed.

"For ones trying to prove yourselves you're not doing a very good job."

Kurama sighed, signaling for Yusuke to back down. He then threw his whip aside and spread his limbs so that they were far away from his sides.

"Here! Attack me now if you so desire! If you are truly a demon, you can tell that I am too; and no demon would ever turn another in to a Hunter for sport. Come closer if you desire, I will not strike out at you and I am willing to trust that you will not do the same."

Kuwabara and Yusuke gaped at Kurama's boldness. Was he this foolish? Or did he have another plan in mind.

Kigeko seemed to be thinking the same thing. At once she straightened her stance and considered the young man's offer. He did indeed seem to have no other weapons on him, but she had learned the hard way many times before that looks were often deceiving. Like a hunter circling prey she inched closer to him in a semi-circular pattern. Uncertain of this man's honesty.

Her eyes were focused purely on his, and she saw no lie in them. Her approach became swifter, and her moves more fluent and predictable. Slowly, she was letting her guard down.

"If you're planning on attacking Kurama, now is definitely the time to do it." Yusuke stated. Kuwabara nodded in agreement. Both, however, only stood by as helpless spectators, wondering if their friend had succeeded, or if he was living his last moments.

"You have the smell of a fox," she commented at last.

"That I am," stated Kurama, still not moving from his pose. "My name is Kurama, though my demon name is Youko Kurama."

"Youko Kurama..." Kigeko repeated, as though she had heard the name before. Suddenly, the red in her eyes died, and her hair flattened against her head. The claws retracted into typical fingernails, and the stance straightened out into that of a more humane pose. "I know you're name." She stated. "Forgive me."

Kurama nodded with a bright smile, as though there was nothing to forgive.

"If you could please tell us what is happening here, we would be very appreciative. As you know, we're not from this time and are, literally, quite lost." Kurama chuckled, and a few moments later Kigeko was also chuckling.

"Would you check this guy out?" Yusuke commented.

"Charmer." Kuwabara chuckled. Yusuke merely sighed, glad that this fight was over.

"You know," Yusuke went on as they approached the laughing couple. "For a newbie demon, she was pretty powerful."

"Yeah, a few seconds more and she's have probably kicked your but Urameshi."

"Now," Yusuke laughed. "I didn't say she was _that_ good."

"Whatever."

------

"My full name is Kigeko Hiroya. I'm sixteen years old. I don't know how I first became what I am, but it most likely started a long time ago. Every since I became a teenager I would experience fits of rage, some so great I was barely able to control them. No one ever helped either. In fact, most people made it worse. Family, friends, school, peers, life in general. After a while, everything just pissed me off. Eventually I was better at hiding my anger. I suppose you could say the bottle that I stuffed everything grew with me, and I thought I could control it.

"Until I would try to go to sleep at night. Suddenly all these memories would haunt me. Things that had made me mad all my life. Not just that day or that week, but years before, things that I usually wouldn't typically be able to recall. It were as though my memories could haunt me. In fact, I could probably claim that that's just what would happen. The light would go off, and suddenly I would remember all these things.

"Eventually I became insane at times. I would thrash about in my bed trying to make them all go away. I would curl up in anger and then just burst out in silent screams because they wouldn't leave me alone. I lost sleep because of it. Countless hours of sleep. And as I grew, so did the fits. Then the memories would start haunting me for longer. Suddenly I couldn't just turn the light on and have them all go away. I would wake up and I'd still remember. Whenever I was alone, or everything was silent, suddenly they were all there. All of these memories, for as far back as I could remember.

"It got to the point where I wanted to kill people. Not just specific people, but anyone. It didn't matter who they were. Family, friends, dear friends that I had known all my life! It didn't matter. None of it did. I just wanted to kill them. It was an insatiable lust with no reason or any hopes of being quelled. I knew when these days started that I was near my breaking point. After this, it was simply a matter of when.

"That question didn't take long to be answered either.

"One night I snapped. I threw knives at my mother so precisely aimed that had I been intending to kill her, I would have, and I slapped my father to the point where it nearly broke his neck. He has permanent scars where my newfound claws dug into his skin. He's also partially blinded now in one of his eyes because my nails sunk to deep. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a random outburst. My parents had been fighting. My mother suspected my father was seeing another woman. She was always good at blowing things out of proportion, but my father wasn't helping in the least. In a sudden rage I physically threw myself at both of them, and after that I ran away. I had looked at my reflection in my father's car before leaving, and I saw for the first time what you saw when I transformed. I knew what I was. Somehow, my suppressed emotions, especially my anger, had taken me and changed me. The complete hatred I felt for everything made me a demon.

"I can't explain it. I'm not even sure how it's possible. Maybe there was something else. Maybe there was demon blood in me all along and it had to be woken up. That seems more likely, but I can't be too sure now can I?

"Well, that's my story. But there are others."

------

"Have you found anything yet?" Inuyasha whined. "I'm getting tired of waiting on you!"

A clash rung up from the chamber as he had finished his question. The hanyou looked up immediately to find that the fire demon had stuck quite true to his word.

"Yes, now hurry up. Someone will have undoubtedly heard that." in a second Hiei was gone from the opening in the wall. Inuyasha followed with a few great bounds, and within seconds they were both outside if the stronghold. "Now, lets go." Hiei urged.

"Wait!" Inuyasha snarled, grabbing hold of Hiei's bandaged wrist. This got the demon's attention well, mainly because he was so pissed off this half demon had dared to lay a hand on him. "I have friends in there!"

Hiei stopped to think, then frowned. "We can't get them now. It's too risky."

"To hell with you!" Inuyasha snarled. "I'm not leaving them here! Who knows what's happened to them!"

"Exactly!" Hiei retorted. "For all you know they could be dead. Don't be so stupid as to risk your life now. Right now we're their only hope of escape. If you're wise, you'll take my advice."

"So we're just leaving them here? Is that it?"

"For now that's the only choice we have!" Hiei stated firmly. "Now lets go before we're captured again." With that, the fire youkai bound off. Angrily, Inuyasha followed, but not before vowing to return for Kagome and the others.

Author's Note: _You guys better be happy with this! I'm getting carpultunnel from all this typing! -.-_


	9. Chapter Nine

Hikari Katsunan----- Hih-cahr-ee Cat-suu-nahn

Senko Miruto------Sehn-coh Mih-ruu-toh

Aika Seisho------Ay-eeka Sey-sho

------

"What do you mean, there are others?" asked Kurama with a frown. "What sort of others?"

"Others, like me." Kigeko answered. "Demons through spiritual transformation," she grinned, turning her eyes away. "Spirit Demons, we've named ourselves, since we don't seem to have a specific element."

Kigeko was sitting on a park bench. Kurama was beside her with Kuwabara sitting on one of the arms. Yusuke was leaning on the back of the bench, partially separated from the group but listening all the same to Kigeko's words.

"Where are these others?" asked Kurama, his green eyes gazing serenely at her in hopes to catch her gaze once more.

"He has them." she answered solemnly. "One is a friend of mine."

"You have friends?" Yusuke muttered. Kigeko's ears caught the comment, and her head whirled around to face the Spirit Detective. But instead of a mask of anger and loathing, her countenance instead sported a jovial grin.

"Amazing, isn't it? I seem more like the loner type."

"You might say you gave us that impression," Kurama chuckled.

"Yes well," Kigeko laughed. She shoved her hands into her pockets and leaned lazily against the back of bench, her chin rested on her chest and her eyes closed even though she was deep in conversation. "I usually am, but I make exceptions. I have a lot of friends if you want to think about it," she sighed. "But funny thing is, I don't like too many of them."

"How can you not like your friends?" Kuwabara asked. Kigeko grinned, though never changing her stance on the bench.

"Oh it's simple," she answered. "If you really think about it. I mean, these are people I've known for years, but overtime their company was less than desirable. I'd rather be alone than with them. I don't like them. They've changed too much, and not for the better." She stopped then, debating internally whether or not to continue on.

"And what happened to these friends whom you did care for?"

Kigeko sighed, her eyes closing tighter.

"I had four friends. Two of them moved before all of this started happening; Senko and Aika. We kept in touch up until about a month ago. I never told them what happened to me. We just lost contact with each other. I tried to call them and I never received responses. I assumed that they'd grown to feel about me the same way I had about so many other friends." She stopped and considered her words, then began laughing. It seemed such an odd sound. A mix between a child's innocent giggle, and a malicious cynical, almost mocking cackle. Kurama noted that whatever this was probably told a lot about her. "So I lost contact with all but one friend. We grew closer after I had changed, because she had sensed it."

"She sensed your change?" Yusuke asked in amazement.

"Well, that's not impossible." said Kurama, turning his gaze to Yusuke. "After all, Kuwabara has an exceptional sixth sense, and so does his sister Shizuru. It is not as uncommon as you think."

"No, it wasn't like that." Kigeko interrupted. All three turned to her.

Three simultaneous "Oh?" 's came her way, and immediately she grinned broadly.

"This friend of mine, Hikari Katsunan, she had undergone the same thing a month before me. Only she hadn't made a full transformation. She's only half Spirit Demon."

"Only half?" Kurama questioned. "That's odd."

"I thought so as well," she went on. "But then, none of this was in either one of our control, so it wasn't our place to complain, nor could we question because there was no one who had any answers."

Kurama nodded. "Of course."

"Yes well, it didn't help. Anyway, Imashirou found out about Hikari and now I'm all alone in a friendless world."

"How did he find out about her?" Yusuke asked. "Does he have some sort of demon detector?"

"I don't know, smart mouth," she laughed. "But it doesn't really matter _how_ he's finding us. What matters is that he _is_ finding us, and the probability of him soon finding me is very good seeing my odds."

"And what odds are those?" asked Kurama.

"Well, until you guys arrived, I was the only demon in town." she smiled brightly.

"Imashirou's tracing abilities are _that_ strong?"

"Well, either that, or the demons these days are _really_ dumb. I'm betting a combination of both. With, if I may say so, newbie demons like myself are walking around town, I'm sure there are many that are much more overconfident than I."

Kurama and Kuwabara chuckled, and Yusuke himself had to give a slight smile. For being what she was, Kigeko was an all right girl. Or demon. Demoness.

"If you're going to stop this man," she started after a bout of silence. "You're going to need help. Your best bet is to break the dungeons and free as many demons as you can before ever getting in there on your own."

"Our first concern is our friend." Yusuke said with some irritation.

"Right." Kurama nodded. "After that, we'll see what we can do. Is there any way to defeat this Demon Lord?"

"If I knew that, I'd have done it already." Kigeko chimed sarcastically. Kurama sighed, along with the others.

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense."

"No plans, no hopes, no allies." Sighed Yusuke. "You'd think this just be another walk in the ball park."

------

"Are you always this slow or are you stopping to sniff fire hydrants when I'm not looking?" snapped Hiei as he peered over his shoulder to the lagging Inuyasha.

"Shut up, matchstick!" Inuyasha spat, landing a few yards behind him. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Would _you_ like to lead the way?" Hiei huffed. "I'm sure with that bloodhound nose of yours you could find your way out of this forest in a heartbeat!"

"You know something, you're really starting to get on my nerves!"

"And you're getting on mine! Do you want an award? Now, shut up! You don't know what's in these forests any better than I do. If we want to survive long enough to rescue your little friends we're going to have to work _together_."

"Looks like we've got some progress ahead of us." Inuyasha muttered.

"Indeed." replied Hiei, but so only he could hear. With a bound he was gone again, leaving it up to Inuyasha to keep up with him.

"Wait up will ya!" The hanyou yelled as he leapt after him. "So you're fast! You're proved that! You know. if we want to work together we're going to have to STAY TOGETHER!!!"

------

Hiei landed in a nearby tree, Inuyasha a few branches below him. There was a city in sight by now, empty streets and sidewalks, with driverless cars parked on the sides of the road. The playgrounds were bare of children, and all the stores seemed to be closed. The sun was beginning to set, giving the eerie overcast of a ghost town before hell was about to break loose.

"Great plan, genius." Inuyasha spat. "Do you-"

"Shut up!" Hiei hissed, this time more intense than ever before. Inuyasha fell silent merely out of surprise that this fire demon could sound like even more of an ass then he had been previously. The hanyou watched as Hiei removed the white bandana from his forehead to reveal;

"A third eye?!"

"Quiet!" Hiei hissed. "I need to concentrate."

"For what? Cleaning a contact lens!?!?"

Hiei disregarded how Inuyasha might know about the futuristic replacement for glasses and closed his two primary eyes. Within moments, the Jagan was combing the landscape for signs of life. He found some, at a part nearby. These were not the beings he expected to find, but they were most likely better than anything else he'd find.

"Come, this way." Hiei stated, leaping from the tree to the nearest rooftop, and then on to the next rooftop in quick and extraordinary flashes of light.

"Hey! Wait!" Inuyasha yelled, chasing after.

------

The group sat in awkward silence for some time. Kigeko had her eyes closed, either thinking or resting, no one was sure which. Kurama sat also with his own eyes closed, pondering on what they could do to release Hiei and the others from Imashirou's clutches. Yusuke was still leaning against the back of the bench, his eyes closed. Not in thought, but in sleep.

Kuwabara was the only one with open eyes, gazing dreamily into the clouds as though that was where the answer to all their problems lay.

They assumed this position for many minutes, no one thinking it unsafe to be out in the open with no one else out.

"Well, this is disappointing." Hiei laughed, more to himself than his newfound companion.

"What, that there's not enough of them to kill?" responded Inuyasha in a very sarcastic manner. Hiei turned a glare upon the half dog demon. Inuyasha turned his gaze away, showing no signs of regret over what he said. "What, demon? I know your type. You kill for pleasure and nothing else. Don't care who or what or why, you just do it because it feels good. I don't-" but Inuyasha was cut off when Hiei grabbed the cloth of his shirt and pulled him very, very close so that this hanyou would see the real fire that burned within him.

"Do not be so quick to judge, canine, unless you would like to find yourself sporting a hair cut similar to a poodle! I suggest you shut your very large mouth." with that he let go, then leapt stealthily from the rooftop to the tree near the daydreaming group. Inuyasha sighed, then followed, making sure to find a branch in which to sit himself upon.

------

Kurama was the first to hear the voice, but wondered if it was just his hopeful overactive imagination. With a start he flew up from his seat and stood, allowing his eyes to search their surroundings. Yusuke, taken off by the sudden movement from behind him, turned his gaze to face the rest of his companions, eyeing the fox demon with question.

"What is it Kurama?"

"I...just heard...." he drifted off. "That voice..."

"Hey Kurama, what's up?" Asked Kuwabara, seeing his friend's discomfort.

Kurama remained in his stance for some time, his eyes restlessly combing the park until his suspicions were satisfied, and his heart disappointed.

"I'm just imagining things, it seems."

He turned to sit back down when suddenly there was a rustle in the tree just overhead. All looked up, suspecting the worst. Finally, a sarcastic and whining voice, trying desperately to make a whisper out of it, came down at them through the leaves.

"I can't help it!"

There was another low muttering, but no one could make out the words.

Yusuke stood, fists clenched; hungry for another battle.

"Hey! You in the tree! Come down here now and show yourself!"

Silence.

Yusuke smiled.

"All right then, I'll just have to come," he started to climb. "up--_there_!"

Kurama's ears caught it first. The sound of metal being pulled from a wooden scabbard. He aimed to call out to Yusuke who was only inching closer to his death, but it was too late for that. Within a fraction of a second, Kurama had his rose whip readied and sent it flying through the leaves of the tree. It took with it two heavy masses. One was dressed mostly in red, the other in black. The former fell atop the latter, his eyes wide from the stun of the whip. The other merely grunted, trying desperately to get out from underneath the creature.

"It's..." Kuwabara muttered, seeing the pair before Kurama could maneuver around them.

"HIEI!" Yusuke hollered happily. He shoved the white haired hanyou off of him and lifted the fire demon into a brotherly embrace in which Hiei struggled against for many moments.

After he finally released him, Yusuke began to prod the other with his finger curiously.

"Hey Hiei, who's your friend?"

"He's not my friend," Hiei answered immediately. "He's an annoyance that I would very soon like to be rid of." He turned to see the others staring at him in joy and relief, save for one young girl whom he did not know. "Hello Kurama," he greeted, overlooking her for the moment.

"Hey Hiei, what about me?" asked Kuwabara, a bright and stupid smile upon his face.

"Yes, you're still here. I'm amazed." commented the fire demon. "And disappointed." Kuwabara frowned, then began muttering to himself about rudeness. "Who's the girl?"

Kurama motioned to introduce the two, but Kigeko made herself known well enough to Hiei by releasing a clawed hand out before him to be shaken. He glared at her hand, and realizing that Hiei was not that sort of socialite, Kigeko retracted her hand and shoved it into one of her pockets.

"Kigeko." she answered. Hiei merely glared at her, and Kigeko eagerly matched it. After a few silent moments between the two, the fire demon turned away and looked to Kurama. "If you're going to ask if I can be trusted, that will be up to you." Kigeko stated before the fire demon could ever utter a word. "I can only say that I would not benefit from killing or betraying any or all of you, so it's not on my current agenda."

"Current?" Hiei asked with a slight suspicion.

"Well," she raised an eyebrow, "you've yet to piss me off yet, so yes. Yet. It's not on my agenda, _yet_."

"I see." Hiei stated. He turned then to see if Yusuke was still alive from bothering the hanyou, and found himself staring at an image of the white haired half demon holding his friend by his ankles and poking him continuously.

"How do you like that, huh?" he asked, poking incessantly as Yusuke yelled in annoyance. "Is that funny? Huh? Huh!?!"

"Oh my," sighed Kurama.

Kigeko snorted slightly, eyeing the situation with a slight bit of humor flickering in her eyes.

"It seems we may have a situation on our hands."

All the others nodded.

Author's Note: _There Kat, are you happy now? Better be, damn it. I can't feel my hands anymore! By the way, that Hikari Katsunan, that's your character! So keep an eye out for her in the future. Okay?_

Hope you liked it.


	10. Chapter Ten

"So what's the plan?" asked Hiei, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and leaning against the tree. The others had succeeded in separating Inuyasha from Yusuke and now worked on keeping them at a distance for some time.

"Well to be honest, there really isn't one." stated Kurama with a disappointed sigh. "We're still not certain of what we're up against."

"Since when has that ever stopped us?" smiled the fire youkai. Kurama grinned in amusement.

"Yes, well this time we're dealing with someone who it seems knows well the habits of demons and could, if not defeat us, easily take advantage of our skills."

"So, we're stuck here for now with nothing?"

Kurama nodded. Sighing, Hiei turned a frowning countenance to the sky. Night was falling swiftly now, and soon they would need to find somewhere in which they could find safety and not have to worry about prying eyes that might spy them out.

"We should move." Kigeko stated. Hiei glanced her direction with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes were focused outward toward the empty streets. She was either very weary, or sensed something they did not. No one questioned her. It would be unwise anyway to stay in one spot for too long, especially when out in the open as they were now.

"Agreed." stated Kurama.

As one the group moved out of the park and onto the sidewalks, crossing the street and melting into the forest. They walked for some time until at last they came upon a great oak tree. The forest around them was clouded over, and it seemed as though a fog were drifting in around them. Each of the demons looked around suspiciously. This was not natural weather for a city-centered grove.

"Don't worry." Kigeko whispered as she circled the tree. "This fog is unnatural as you have probably sensed. It's the emanations of energy from a nearby tree sprite. He releases this fog and it acts as a protective barrier for those of us who used to hide here."

"How so?" asked Yusuke.

Kigeko flashed a smile at the Spirit Detective before disappearing around the tree again.

"It hides our energy."

"The Demon Hunter can find you with your spirit energy as well?" asked Hiei. Kigeko nodded, reappearing behind the tree looking slightly flustered.

"That's what they say. We take no risks now that there are so few of us left."

"Yes, that can be understood." stated Kurama. "What are you looking for?"

"A knob." Kigeko answered, peering around the tree trunk.

"The thing is full of them." Hiei commented, his own eyes combing the surface of the tree.

"Yes, thank you for that observation." replied the young woman sarcastically. "Obviously there's a specific one that I'm looking for."

Hiei frowned, angered that her sarcasm was aimed at him.

"You've been hiding here for how long and you still don't know how to get inside?" he retorted, eager to return the sarcasm.

"I don't usually hide here." Kigeko snapped. "I have a place."

"Then why are you taking _us_ here?"

"Because there is more than one that I am taking care of now, so it seems. So we will need some place bigger."

"We can take care of ourselves, I assure you." sneered the fire demon.

"Yes, I'm sure." Kigeko sighed without interest. Her boldness was annoying, and Hiei could already say well that he didn't like her. Kurama, on the other hand, seemed highly entertained by the ordeal.

"Is there anything we can help you with?"

"No. I found it." She stated, and with a flick of her wrist she hit the one knob. The roots of the tree spread and revealed a large opening in which they could each squeeze through.

"C'mon." she urged them, ushering each inside. No one moved, however. "What's the matter with you?"

"What is that?" Kuwabara asked with wide eyes.

"The entrance to our hideaway." Kigeko frowned. "Have you _not_ been listening?"

"He's like that." Yusuke winked, nudging the tall red head with an elbow. "His body is here but as for his brain....well it hasn't exactly turned up in the Lost and Found yet."

Kigeko blinked dumbly for a few seconds before chuckling at the young man's comment.

"Well are you going in or no?"

"You first," said Hiei with a glare. "How are we supposed to know there isn't something on the other end that's going to rip our heads off?"

"Well if you can take such good care of yourself, Hiei, why are you worried?"

Hiei grumbled and turned his gaze away from the group.

"I'll go first." Kurama volunteered. He bent down on all fours and slowly began to crawl through the opening. Instantly he disappeared from view with a grunt, and the others started in worry. But a few seconds later he called up to them, assuring them that it was safe and that he was all right.

Yusuke followed, along with Kuwabara. With some arguing, Hiei soon followed, and Kigeko behind him, closing the entrance so that no one would find them. Within a few minutes, the fog covered where they had been standing.

------

Kagome trembled where she stood. She'd not been harmed, but nevertheless she felt very much abused. A helpless little girl chained to a wall, with this man making her his play thing.

"So innocent." he commented, pulling her eyes to gaze up into his own. "I don't understand it. Why did you stay with that hanyou? How did you survive? Why didn't he tear you to pieces?"

"What?" Kagome muttered, uncertain of what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"This one you call Inuyasha. He's a demon."

"Yes."

"How did you survive." the man eyed her up and down. "Are you a witch? Did you control him through some spell?"

"No!" she spat, but this man wasn't listening. He seemed to be speaking to himself while looking at her. Through her. Into her. It were as though he were reading every inch of her, and discovering things that Kagome didn't want anyone to know about her. It disturbed her. "He's my friend!"

"A human can't be friends with a demon!" spat the man, and he grabbed her face tightly in his hands. "A demon doesn't have any contemplation of that word. Just as they have no contemplation for love."

Angry, Kagome gathered all of her courage and aimed a dark glare at this man.

"Then what exactly _is_ love? This!? Than it seems to me that you've a more messed up opinion of love than any demon I've ever known!"

When Kagome had said that, the man's back had been turned to her. But soon after uttering that sentence, he rounded quickly on her, his hand gliding hard across her face, leaving a hand imprint across her cheek and temple. Kagome whimpered as he struck her, and trembled after it was done, the sting still very fervent upon her skin.

"Do not dare to compare me to their kind!" he hissed. "I've finished with you. If you love your demons so much you can share one of their cages!"

He unhooked her chains from the walls, but did not release her from them. The cuffs remained around her wrists, and like a dog he lead her to another section of the dungeon. Kagome's arms shook from being strung up for so long, and her knees were weak from her experience a few moments ago. Her stomach growled with hunger and her eyes screamed to be shut. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in there, but Kagome knew that it had been far too long.

"Here, wench!" he opened a door and threw her inside. She hit the ground hard, even though it was covered in straw. "I will come for you again to teach you a lesson in decency!" And with that, he shut the door hard behind her and stormed out.

Kagome shuttered once more. It seemed colder in here than in the chamber she had been kept in previously.

"H-hello?" she whispered fearfully. "Is anyone here?"

"Yes." came an answer. Kagome looked around in fright. She was so tired and so cold that she barely recognized the voice. "Kagome, is that you?"

"How do you...." she stopped, realizing at last that she was at least with someone she knew would not harm her. "Kouga?"

A troubled face emerged from the shadows, and only grew more troubled when he saw the condition of his dear friend. In a flash he was at her side.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, but Kagome did not answer. She couldn't. He had already seen the tremendous bruise forming on her cheek. Kouga snarled. "He has hurt you!"

"Not badly," she tried to reassure him, pulling herself shakily to her knees. Kouga assisted her. He took her hand to comfort her, but only frowned deeper.

"You are cold!" Kagome sighed and pulled away.

"Really, it's okay Kouga."

"No it is not." he frowned. "This man has hurt you."

"Kouga, please-" she begged, but decided to let it rest. Kagome knew she should be grateful to be with someone who would take care of her. With a sigh, she leaned against him and allowed him to wrap her in his arms.

"I will keep you warm." he promised. With that, Kagome smiled, and drifted into a blissful sleep.

------

****

Author's Note: _Well, hope that was satisfactory. Sorry I haven't been writing. Been busy. Suddenly my muses have kicked in with original fiction and costume making. Wheeeee!!!!!!_


	11. Chapter Eleven

"So, what's our plan?" Yusuke asked Kigeko as he threw himself into a rickety, wooden chair.

"Well, that's really up to you, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

Kigeko sighed. This boy was pretty dumb when it came to...most things.

"Well, it's your party, right?" she went on.

"I guess." Yusuke nodded.

"So, it's _your_ choice on how you want to crash it."

"Why are we even worried about it now?" The spirit detective blinked, as though he had just now taken the full leap into reality. "We've gotten what we came for. Why interfere with anything else?"

"Because, _Kagome_ is in there!" growled a very angry Inuyasha from the furthermost corner of the room.

"And that's our problem how, exactly?" muttered Yusuke under his breath, with an expression pasted across his face that clearly showed how little he cared. The hanyou on the other hand, heard it vividly enough, and did not hesitate to harass Yusuke. Again.

"Listen, punk!" he warned, pressing his face very closely to Yusuke's own. "I don't know who you think you are, but we're not leaving my friends back there in the hands of _that_ maniac!"

"This Kagome of yours," entered Kigeko with a questioning gaze. "is she a demon?"

"What does _that_ have to do with it?" the half dog demon snapped.

Kigeko narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"It may have everything to do with it!" she snarled. Her teeth began to bare themselves as the canines lengthened. Inuyasha blinked to make sure this was not an illusion cast over his mind. An uncanny scent erupted from her that mingled and crossed between animal and element, for she was both and yet seemingly neither. For a fleeting moment, Inuyasha was afraid because he could not detect exactly what she was, or what thread she might pose for him. But the feeling soon passed, dying with her demonic appearance as the rage of her being questioned waned. "Is she human?" the girl repeated. "Because Imashirou enjoys playing with human women."

"What do you mean, _play_?" this time it was Inuyasha's turn to snarl.

"I mean just what I said, simpleton." Kigeko stated very matter-of-factly. "He'll take her and all that he wants from her. He's love hungry and ruthless to boot. Imashirou will show no mercy to your woman as he tries to seduce her into being his own. Not a play toy, Inuyasha. A love toy."

The golden eyes flickered with something between malice and fear. This man would do things to Kagome that Inuyasha could not fathom. How could he live with himself knowing that he had ever allowed this to happen to her? How stupid of him to leave her while he escaped. Sitting here now in safe company while she was at the mercy of that...that monster!

"When do we get started?" he asked, slightly numb as this realization engulfed him.

"As soon as we have a game plan." replied Kigeko. Her gaze then turned to the others. "Anyone got any ideas?"

There were a few questioning glances from the humans to the rest of the party. No one spoke a word, and that seemed to settle the fact that there were no immediate plans to rescue those who were still at the mercy of the demon overlord. Kigeko let out a long sigh and took rest in another chair nearby.

"Do we have a map of the castle in which Imashirou dwells?" asked the calm voice of Kurama, cracking the silence sharply.

"No, we do not." replied Kigeko, rubbing her fingers over her eyes. "No one who has gotten close enough to get any sort of details has ever come back."

"Well, _that _sucks." Yusuke retorted. It was all Inuyasha could do to keep himself from slashing through the arrogant bastard's throat.

"You could say that," Kigeko added. She got up and disappeared into a corridor that had been concealed behind her whilst she stood before the group.

The entrance room, where they now waited, was nothing more then a single, dimly lit, earth-made chamber. Tree roots lined the walls with thin bits of moss hanging from the ceiling. Hard padded dirt was their floor and walls, and the only thing that cast light here was the innumerable electric torches that were strategically positioned throughout the room.

"Why not candles?" asked Kuwabara as they each sat rotting in their own awkward silence.

"Yes, that's a brilliant idea," commented Hiei sarcastically. "And in the process burn up all of their breathable oxygen."

"Stupid little runt." grumbled Kuwabara as he crossed his arms and leaned against a large root embedded in the wall behind him.

Kigeko entered a few minutes later bearing small rations of food. Taking some for herself, she sat down and began eating.

"Some host," commented Yusuke playfully as he went to reach for some crackers and dry meat that was lying open on the tray. "Eating before your guests?"

"Just in case you guys thought I was trying to poison you." she shot back sarcastically. "I'm afraid we never kept much food here as this is more of a meeting hall for us then a set of living quarters."

"It's fine, I'm sure." stated Kurama gently, and taking a piece he too began to eat from the small portions given to them. Kuwabara, after suspiciously inspecting his own scraps, devoured his in one swallow, then began poking around for another.

"Hey Hiei, you going to eat that?" he asked, hovering over the fire demon's shoulder. Hiei, glaring, swallowed his portions at once, then grinned evilly at Kuwabara. The young man frowned, and with slumped shoulders drifted back to his corner where he once again grumbled about the cruelty of his teammate.

"Well, now that we've got something in us, have we any ideas in our slow little heads?" Kigeko stood before them again, using the table she had placed their food on as a sort of podium.

"We will have to better know the grounds on which we will be fighting on." stated Kurama with a regretful sigh. "I can search out the castlequickly and accurately."

"Yes, but coming back is the hard part." stated the young girl. "I already told you, everyone who-"

Kurama raised a hand to silence her.

"Yes, I have taken into consideration your warnings, but when I was a full demon I stole from castles much larger and surely with greater systems of security. I can find the basics of what we will need and make it back here unscathed."

Kigeko sighed, then turned her gaze to the others.

"Anyone have any better ideas?"

"Someone go with him." stated Inuyasha with a cold glare.

"That will not be necessary." Kurama assured the half demon.

"The hell it won't be," he growled. "My friends are out there!"

"We're not executing the rescue plan yet you fool!" Hiei snarled. "Kurama is merely staking out where we will most likely be able to attack."

"And I'm going with him!" demanded Inuyasha.

Kurama shook his head. "I will make much more progress on my own."

"Then what the hell are the rest of us supposed to do? Just sit here and wait?"

"That seems to be our only option." Kigeko sighed. Inuyasha did as well, then crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him, decided that he should best ignore the rest of their planning tactics as they would most likely not suit him any better.

They're MY friends. The hanyou thought bitterly. _I don't see why _I_ can't go with. They don't even know who or what to look for! Idiots. They'll all end up getting themselves captured, and I'll have to be the one rescuing all of their sorry asses._

"Then it's agreed." Kigeko stated when Inuyasha had come back to the conversation. "Tomorrow, then, we begin our first phase of the plan. I suggest we all sleep here tonight."

There were a few nods, and one involuntary sigh. Within minutes, the lights had gone out, and all were asleep with hopes for tomorrow.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Kouga kept his arms wrapped protectively around Kagome. Though he sat still enough so that she may rest easily, within his heart shook with rage. This man, this demon catcher, had taken Kagome and beaten her. A smart bruise was forming across her cheek, as well as around her wrists where the chains were still attached. Many times Kouga had debated an attempt at picking the locks so that she may be free of their terrible metal chill, but the wolf demon feared waking her more. She needed rest. Her body was weak from trembling and enduring abuse at this man's hand.

But no matter what, Kouga would not let it happen again. He would protect her from the harmful hand of this man. Sighing inwardly, Kouga wrapped his arms just a little tighter about Kagome's thin form, and resting his cheek upon her hair, closed his eyes. Night had just recently fallen. It was time to sleep. The wolf protected it's mate as shadows made their return to the world.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Sango awoke to find herself in a very cold room. Her body had been shivering long before she was conscious, and upon waking she was only made more aware of the seemingly unearthly chill that seeped into her bones.

"Miroku?" she called into the surrounding shadows. "Kagome? Shippou? Inuyasha?" For all her yelling and hoping, there were no answers. "Am I...dead?"

"No my dear, not at all." came a sleek voice form the shadows. Sango jumped from her position to her feet and readied her weapon, only to be mortified by the realization that it wasn't there! Also, she found that there were chains around her arms and ankles that held her fast.

"Who are you?" she demanded angrily. "What have you done with my friends?"

"They're safe." came the answer.

"I don't believe you!"

"Well," the man seemed disappointed. "There's not much more proof I can give you."

A hand reached out and caressed her skin. In shock, the young woman pulled back.

"Don't touch me you filth!" she warned. "I have no desire to kill you, but you aren't giving me a good reason to leave you alive!"

"My, my, my," commented the man. "Such a fiery temper. Not at all like your young friend Kagome."

"Where is she!?" Sango demanded. "What have you done with her? If you've hurt her I will-"

"She's not hurt, I assure you." Sango could sense this man's eerie smile in the darkness, and it made her skin crawl. "Just learning her place." Again the hand reached out. Sango backed up, and hit the wall behind her. There was no running from this man. She was his, no matter what she did or said. The wall kept her from retreating further into her prison, and the chains kept her from fleeing all together.

Silently, he moved closer. Sango could not begin to prepare herself for what would happen.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

When Shippou opened his eyes, he found himself in a very small and uncomfortable cage. The room was terribly cold, and Kagome was nowhere nearby. Biting his lip, the fox child curled up as tightly as he could and tried to fend off the chill, but it didn't work.

Now feeling helpless, and knowing quite well that he was alone, Shippou began to whimper. Hungry, cold, and abandoned was not the way he liked to find himself upon waking, yet he was right now all three and feeling it terribly.

"Kagome?" he called out into the darkness beyond his prison. "Kagome, where are you?"

"QUIET!" Something yelled from outside, and began to shake his cage. Shippou scampered away from the opening that exposed him to the outside and retreated to the safest place he could find. Beneath the lining of his small cell.

"Kagome...where are you?" he whimpered tearfully.

Author's Note: _It's 1:10am as I write this. My vision is blurred, hands are tired, I'm bleeding from a cut on my head while itching my first sunburn of the summer. Please forgive all spelling and grammar errors, but I'm too tired and too lazy to beta read this and correct anything._

Sorry this took so long Kat, but I didn't know what to do with it. A little filler, sort of speak, for the moment to make up for all the time I've wasted.

Ela


	12. Chapter Twelve: Revised

Emerald green eyes scanned the fog filled forest. It seemed so odd that a world so natural could be so unnaturally silent. It didn't suit well with Kurama's instincts. Forests were places where life thrived and lingered. Here, there was no life. Only choking silence, with no sunlight to ease away the shadows.

For a moment, Kurama wondered if this idea of his was very wise. Going forward to an unknown destination, scouting unknown territory, alone, with barely any knowledge of their target...it wasn't Kurama's way. Usually. But giving their circumstances, he didn't have much of a choice to go against these plans now. They needed him to get this information. There were people that needed saving in there besides the countless number of heartless demons contained within. Kurama could at least be certain of the fact that there were innocents in there that did not deserve their being imprisoned. People like this Kagome that the one called Inuyasha spoke so fondly of, though Kurama perceived that the hanyou did not realize how obvious his affection was.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" asked a voice from the shadows behind. Kurama started slightly in surprise. Turning his head he found Kigeko eyeing him dubiously. Her hands were shoved deep within the depths of her pockets as her shoulders slumped slightly.

"Quite certain," Kurama responded.

Kigeko nodded. "I see," stepping lightly, she managed to reach his side, and stopped just short of an inch from him. "So, you're just enjoying the surroundings then?"

"I was studying them, if you are so curious."

"Not curious." she sighed. "I simply wanted to warn you. Don't stay longer than is necessary. If you feel you have been sighted, leave. Immediately. We cannot afford to lose our last set of fighters."

"We?"

Kigeko nodded. "I was under the impression we were working together on this."

"Are we a team then?"

"You could call it that if you like."

"I would hardly call it that, no offense." Kurama whispered, his eyes piercing the fog to better find a quick and safe exit.

"Non taken. I would hardly call it that myself."

Kurama nodded.

"The east, then." he stated, nodding his head only slightly. "It is the safest road?"

"It is by far. Good luck, fox."

Kurama nodded, and with that he set off at a brisk pace. Kigeko's eyes could hardly follow his swift movements, and he was soon lost beyond the fog.

------

His nose carried him to the castle grounds within seconds. Kurama eyed the area around him to make certain that there was nothing obvious placed out to trap a curious spy. Sensing, seeing, and smelling no danger, the fox demon leapt atop the sturdy stone wall that acted as the castle's main perimeter and defense system.

Kurama caught no scent of magic upon the wind, though the castle itself reeked of demon energy. There was not one doubt in his mind that there was at least one thousand demons hidden within the confines of the stone edifice.

It lie hundreds of yards from the wall upon which Kurama kneeled, leaving plenty of room for traps and alarms to be sprung upon any sense of foreign activity. Suiting enough, dark clouds began to form overhead while heavy winds began to pick up. A storm was blowing in it seemed.

A strange scent found it's way to the air, and Kurama's senses screamed uncountable warnings to his mind. But he ignored them, knowing well enough that such an act alone was foolhardy.

"I cannot afford to back down," he frowned, his eyes glaring at the castle as though it alone were the reason that nature and fate had suddenly decided to become his greatest opponents. "They are all depending on me. I must discover all I can!" With a sudden bound of courage and faith, Kurama leapt upon the grass and froze. One knee was placed upon the ground as well as the adjacent hand. The other held high his rose whip, preparing for an attack.

Nothing.

Kurama frowned, his eyes darting each and every way. Surely this was some trick. No man, human or otherwise, would be so foolish as to leave all this space between the outside world and his stronghold unprotected! _It's a trap!_ Kurama confirmed to his mind. _A very clever one. Let the intruder think they are safe, allow them to step a little further into your boundaries before you ensnare them._

"Clever." complimented Kurama, though he knew that no one was around to hear it. The demon tensed all of his leg muscles and bound from where he stood to a point some twenty meters away. As he flew over the grassy plains, the ground exploded beneath him. Other things, creatures no doubt recruited by this Imashirou, sprouted forth tentacle like roots beneath the ground that moved to ensnare the intruder and crush him mercilessly.

"But not clever enough."

He landed again upon the ground, taking a short breath before leaping further into the air. Again, more underground explosions went off, flames and heat that would melt the skin of any living being. Roots reached up to grab what might have survived and squeeze all remaining life left from the trespassers, but this time they came up empty.

More leaping, fleeing, and outmaneuvering the hellish security system before Kurama was able to reach the safety of the fortress could trust that the ground beneath him was sturdy. A quick glance in either direction, and Kurama was bounding up the stairs agilely. But a sudden wave of searing white light caught the kitsune off guard, and he was hurtled backwards into the grass.

Before he could react, Kurama could not save himself from the danger he now found himself in. The ground beneath him erupted in flames as roots reached forward from the earth and wrapped tightly about his burnt and weakened body. Screaming against the pain, Kurama abandoned all hope of being rescued before the thought crossed his mind. No one had followed him, for they were all depending solely on him to obtain the information they needed to rescue those trapped inside.

They're depending on me. Kurama's mind screamed as he felt his life force ebb. _I can't fail them._ He winced, mind and muscles tensing from the almost unbearable strain.

I CAN'T FAIL THEM NOW!

------

Miroku sat huddled in the corner of his own prison. The room was dark, and as always, very cold. His own robes were barely able to keep his skin covered, and the shivering had only grown with time.

"Funny, I thought eventually I would have grown used to the cold." he muttered, closing his eyes tight against the seizure-like tremors that wracked his body. For long hours now, he had questioned where the others were. Sango was gone, as well as Kagome and Shippou. Inuyasha he had at least expected to be around, but with a sinking feeling Miroku had soon come to the conclusion that he was alone not only in his cell, but wherever his cell had been placed.

His own site did not extend far beyond the bars that held him captive. The shadows were too black for his eyes to pierce. Desperately he called out, but there was not an answer from anyone, stranger or friend. A defeated sigh soon echoed from the monk's lips, and sinking as deep into depression as he did into his cage, the young man decided that he had best start getting acquainted with his surroundings. He had a feeling he would be here for a long time.

Boredom, however, soon began to take it's toll, and Miroku, having nothing better to do, tried desperately to piece bits of this mystery he was experiencing together. They had been in a deserted hut, taking shelter from a fierce and unforgiving storm. Lightening strikes had erupted everywhere, relentlessly striking the earth as thunder resounded over the seemingly empty plains. Eardrums beating heavily, and hearts filled with trepidation, they had all sought protection with each other in the rickety wooden enclosure. Then, without warning, it had been ripped to pieces around them. He and Sango had been flung to one end of the field, while Inuyasha had followed Kagome and Shippou to the other.

So by all rights, Sango should be here with him.

"Sango?" he called out into the darkness. "Sango, are you here? Are you all right?"

Still nothing. Miroku allowed a defeated sigh to escape his lips a second time, before resting back into the shadows and giving up entirely for the moment. Miroku's hair was singed, and his face and arms stung with the burns the lightening transport had induced upon him.

A sudden, dawning realization sprung upon the young monk has he pondered upon his own injuries. Maybe he was the only one who survived the transport? Perhaps the others had received the full bunt of the heat, and had been incinerated? Now only Miroku was left, a prisoner of some unknown monster with no hope of being rescued.

Sickness overwhelmed the monk as he pondered this possibility. His heart would not accept what his brain believed to be so true.

"No. It can't be." he snarled against his better instincts. "They can't be....gone...." but the tears fell before he could stop them, and soon Miroku felt more alone than he had ever thought possible.

------

"He should have been back by now," stated Inuyasha as he sat watching from the tree branches. "He should have been back long ago."

But no one was there to hear the hanyou's paranoid ravings. No one cared anymore. Just about everyone was sick of hearing whatever he had to say. That's how he had ended up out here to begin with. Kigeko had kicked him out, with some heavily worded support from the others, including the arrogant little Hiei. Frowning against his better instincts, Inuyasha settled himself deep within the bowls of the tree and waited for the red headed demon to return.

It didn't take long.

Kurama returned, burned, charred, bloody and looking both very ill and tired. Inuyasha did not hesitate to land at his side and question him, but the glazed look in the kitsune's eyes told the hanyou that he would not be receiving the information he desired this night. With a sigh, he lifted the young man over his shoulder. Pressing the knot, he took his newfound comrade into the depths of the ground where the fog concealed them safely.

------

Author's Note: _Well, I think you guys have been waiting long enough. I figured I'd give you all a treat and give you two chapters in one day. Hope we're all happy now that we have Miroku back, though he is seemingly very depressed and hopelessly confused. Don't worry though, everything will be okay soon enough._


	13. Chapter Thirteen

****

Author's Note:_ Once again, sorry this has taken so long. I've been trying to figure out an idea for my next Harry Potter story. Unfortunately, nothing is coming. sigh That and my asthma has been acting up, so it's a little hard to keep myself focused on writing right now._

Anyway, hope this story is so far going according to your liking, and I do hope it continues to travel that route. If you have questions or concerns, please state so in your reviews and I will address them A.S.A.P. All right?

Thanks again everyone!

Ela,

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The fact that Kurama had returned in such condition was unnerving to many members of the group, most of all Yusuke, who had never seen the kitsune in such a way, not even after the Dark Tournament. Kurama was still unconscious. His skin and hair and clothing were charred, and countless bruises and cuts bled upon his arms and torso. He muttered now and then, but none of it was audible. Kuwabara continuously applied a cold wash rag to his friend's head to calm his tense nerves and tired, senseless ravings.

"You say you found him like that?" Hiei was talking to Inuyasha calmly since the first time they met. The hanyou nodded, a deep frown pressed upon his already dark features. "Did he say anything before he fell unconscious?"

"Nothing."

The frown on Hiei's own face deepened considerably as he gazed at the injured Kurama, Kuwabara trying desperately to soothe his pain. A number of different things were running through his mind. Inuyasha, his own eyes not moving from the scene, sensed the youkai's tension. Angling his head slightly, he began to speak so that only Hiei would hear.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We go alone?"

Inuyasha nodded. "I'm tired of waiting for them to make a move. This Kigeko is still too human. She doesn't think like a demon, otherwise we'd have a plan by now." Hiei nodded.

"We'll wait till nightfall." said the smaller of the two. "Otherwise it will look suspicious if we leave now."

Inuyasha nodded. Their minds were made up, and there was no turning back.

__

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Night came, and before anyone could even stir from their slumber, Inuyasha and Hiei were racing through the forest to the stone edifice that held Imashirou and his horde of demons. Sitting atop the stone wall, each peered across the long grassy field with consideration. Whatever damage that had been inflicted during Kurama's flight across the plain was now healed over, brilliantly concealed and inviting. Enough for the next intruder.

"I'm really starting to get annoyed with this man." commented Inuyasha as each set of glaring eyes focused on the stone edifice. Hiei nodded in silent agreement.

"Here is the plan then," the other started. "We race across the plain. Keeping within 3 to 5 meters of each other. That way whatever happens, if there's more than one motion sensing trap out there, we can confuse it."

Inuyasha nodded. That was the only signal they needed.

"Ready?" asked the hanyou.

"On your mark,"

"Get set."

"Go!" They nearly yelled it in unison. The thrill of competition, danger, and a near victory was almost overwhelming for the two, but they managed to keep themselves under control. In swift flights each was down upon the ground and running, or leaping.

Immediately, explosions started to ring in their ears. Tentacles of unknown demonic servants ripped up from the grounds, sending chunks of dirt and grass high into the air. Inuyasha was the first to meet up with one of the great arms of the beats, but he easily ripped through it with his legendary Tetsusiaga. Hiei's own katana easily tore through the tender flesh of the monsters. Mercilessly, both drove on, taking as many limbs with them as was necessary.

Before long they had landed upon the stone steps of the entryway to the castle. Both were covered in dirt and blood (of the monsters), and were slightly charred from the intense heat of the explosions.

"Well, _that_ wasn't too hard." stated Inuyasha with a grin. "Are we ready to continue this venture?"

Hiei nodded, and together they passed through the entrance doors. Swords drawn and nerves set.

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"No!" Kurama sat up panting. Immediately, the others were awoken by his yells of terror.

"What!?! What's the matter!?!" Yusuke was first to respond to the sudden noise that had disrupted his sleep.

"Hiei and Inuyasha are gone." Kigeko responded.

"What?" Kuwabara gaped. "Where? Why!?!"

"Where else?" she retorted, sardonically.

"Well, we can't just let them go alone!" Yusuke nearly hollered.

"Yeah! What the heck were they thinking? Going off like that..." Kuwabara's countenance resembled more of a hurt expression than anything else, much alike to Kurama's own face that seemed disappointed and concerned, as well as wounded.

"They are an impatient bunch." he sighed.

"Yes well," Kigeko frowned. There was a tone in her voice that very easily told the others she was struggling to suppress her anger. "We're going to have to go after them."

"With Kurama in this state?" Yusuke frowned, but Kurama, as though to answer the Spirit Detective's question, stood from where he lay, smiling slightly.

"I assure you I am well enough to begin our journey."

"No. You're not." the remaining companions said simultaneously. Kurama merely chuckled.

"Well enough to accompany you, if nothing else."

"_You're _not coming." Yusuke retorted. "And that's final. We'll return with those block heads before we do anything else."

Kigeko and Kuwabara both nodded while Yusuke still challenged Kurama with one of his infamous glares. The kitsune merely sighed and sat back down, knowing quite well that he was defeated. Had he come, he would have been very much out of his league anyway.

"Very well," Kurama sighed. Yusuke turned and nodded to the others.

"Let's go."

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Need I tell you that I'm getting lazy? And just plain tired of this story. sigh


	14. Chapter Fourteen

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Author's Note: _Sorry. I've been working on Harry Potter stories. I've got some good stuff going I think. dances It's not easy rewriting an entire series of books, you know that?_

Inuness, you still need to review chapter 13 I think. wink

Enjoy, all.

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Kigeko had expected Kurama to have a great deal of speed, but she had not expected the same results from these human boys that accompanied him. Yusuke was equally as fast as Kurama, if not faster, and Kuwabara did a fine job on his own of keeping up. It was impressive.

She herself had very little trouble keeping up with them. Kigeko was a demon after all, even if she was not a fully formed one. Strength and speed were hers, and she had a goal to accomplish, a rescue to follow through with, to keep her motivated.

Trees flew by swiftly as the quartet rushed toward Imashirou's castle. Soon, everything was a blur until they too came to the stone wall that guarded the castle.

"We must take caution." Kurama warned them. The others nodded in understanding. Each peered eagerly down the long strip of grassland that separated them from their castle. "Not all is as it seems,"

"Exploding dirt and evil grass....sounds like fun." Kuwabara commented. Kigeko could not help but smile at the simplified version of the young boy's idea of what they were about to face. She cast a glance east and west of her position.

"Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"On your marks..." Yusuke whispered. They tensed. "Get set..." They eyed their first landing spot. "GO!"

Like race horses released from their stalls, they erupted from the wall and danced across the grassy area. Immediately, the ground beneath them exploded and the world erupted in flames. All arrived unscathed through the billowing smoke, panting and sweating.

That was when the tentacles erupted from the grounds, once again reaching out to grab survivors or charred remains and inflict a death grip unlike anything else. Those were easily avoided, and at one point both Yusuke and Kigeko were laughing in mockery at the elementary defense system that they were so easily evading.

"I've seen cemeteries more active then this place!" Yusuke laughed, leaping into the air as the ground he had previously occupied erupted into a miniature mushroom cloud.

Kurama frowned. "That's a disturbing thought to consider."

"Agreed." Kuwabara yelled.

"Quit playing with 'em boys, we've got work to do!" Kigeko responded ahead of them, leaping meters at a time toward the castle.

Yusuke caught up with her and flashed a mock frown in her direction. "You're ruining all our fun."

For the first time any of them could remember, Kigeko smiled warmly at the young boy and winked. "I'm so sorry."

The statement dripped with sarcasm, but it was still offsetting for the trio. Within minutes they reached the castle doors and stood still, all eyes resting upon Kurama.

"I have their scent," he commented, checking around suspiciously.

Kigeko frowned. "Well gee, I hope so." she retorted with more sarcasm. Yusuke cast a warning glare in her direction. She rolled her eyes and jammed her hands into her pockets.

"Don't take the front door." she stated. "This is the way Hiei and Inuyasha went."

The others considered her with a deal of amazement. "What do you mean?" Asked Kuwabara.

Her glare upon the castle doors deepened, as well as her frown. Her brow furrowed intensely as she considered their surroundings.

"They walked through that same door and Imashirou was waiting for them."

"Are they all right?"

Kigeko shrugged. "Hard to say. I know their scent is joined by another. I know that, if Hiei and Inuyasha were inside right now running around freely, the place would not be so quiet. I know that walking right through the front door isn't exactly the wisest of ideas. I know also that we're being watched."

Frowning, Kurama glanced upward. "She's right."

"What? What do you mean?" Kuwabara shaded his eyes and started peering every which way, as though he were in some sort of idiotic stupor. "I don't see anyone!"

"That's because you're not mean to." Kurama stated calmly. "You're human, you can't see it."

"Well, _that's _rich." Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest and frowned bitterly. "So what are we supposed to do?"

Kigeko grinned. "Take the back door."

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea! As if there's some sort of--hey! Where's she going?" Kigeko hadn't been listening. She leapt over the side of the stone stair railing and inched beneath the shadows of the castle. Her feet were touching the grass, but nothing was happening. The others watched in amazement. At one point, she reached what seemed to a crack in the walls. "How does she know this?" Yusuke asked a gaping Kurama. The kitsune only shook his head. Kigeko tapped on an arrangement of bricks before a door opened. She smiled innocently at the others and beckoned them to follow.

"I don't like this." Kuwabara frowned.

A sigh escaped Kurama's lips. "She's either not what she seems, or knows more than she's ever revealed."

"I don't like either probability."

The other's nodded.

"However," Kurama continued. "We don't have much of a choice if we want to rescue our friends. Come, lets follow before the door closes."

They did just that, and soon found themselves trapped in a deep darkness.

"Where are we?" Yusuke asked, his voice echoing angrily between unseen walls.

"In the dungeon." Kigeko answered. There were no replies. She sighed. "I knew about this because I'd seen someone use it once before when I was spying on this place. I'm not a traitor." More silence. "Oh for the love of God, let's get going."

Yusuke sighed and looked in the direction he expected Kurama to be standing. "Here we go," he sighed.

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Wow, I SO BSed this. LOL!!!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

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Inuness: Sorry, but you're gonna have to wait and see who's got Hiei and Inuyasha. :p (hugs)

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starangel4899: Thanks for recommending this story. I'm glad you like it. :)

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Lady-of-the-Dragon-Flame: Oh good. I'm glad someone likes Kigeko. It's really hard basing a character off of yourself.

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DayDreamer9: LOL! I'm writing as fast as I can.

Thanks for the reviews everyone!

---

"Where are we going?" Yusuke whispered harshly into the surrounding darkness. A smack on the back of his head from Kigeko shut up him quickly. Part of her half expected Kuwabara to start asking 'Are we there yet?' but he was wise enough at this point to keep his mouth shut. At least until...

"AH!"

Everyone whirled around in the direction his scream had erupted from.

"What is it?" Kurama asked in calm concern.

"I just...felt something..."

"What?"

"Mouse...."

There was a stunned silence. "A mouse?" Yusuke was probably raising an unimpressed eyebrow. Fortunately for him, no one could see it.

"I...hate....mice!"

"How do you put up with them?" Kigeko's voice sounded from ahead.

"I manage." Yusuke answered.

"I was talking to Kurama."

The kitsune giggled innocently before grinning. "Honestly, Kigeko, I have no idea what you're talking about." was the sarcastic reply.

"Don't be sarcastic, Kurama." Yusuke grumbled. "It doesn't suit you."

Again Kurama chuckled. Yusuke had found Kuwabara's ear and was now dragging him along with the rest of the group, despite his cries of loathing toward mice.

"Just a little while longer." Kigeko assured them. "Then we'll be on the first floor."

"Are there mice on the first floor?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out." Kigeko stated shrewdly. Kuwabara frowned. "Hurry up."

---

Kagome still lay wrapped in Kouga's arms. She'd been there for longer then was comfortable, but what with the way she felt, she didn't have the heart or the strength to tell Kouga that she did not desire his vigilance.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her, his hand thoughtlessly stroking her long black hair. She nodded.

"Thank you,"

Kagome could sense the smile upon the young wolf demon's face. "You are welcome." He paused. "Where is your Inuyasha?"

A sudden pang hit Kagome's heart. She closed her eyes to swallow the upcoming tears, and sighed. "I don't know."

Kouga wrapped his arms tighter around her. Not in a sense to advance on her. He was much too kind to believe he could take advantage of Kagome, especially now with her love gone. Kouga also respected her. She was the shard wielder, and she was also a strong woman besides. She'd been through a lot and had come out unscathed, if not physically, then spiritually.

That was what made her so beautiful to Kouga.

"I am sorry." he whispered. A true note of sorrow echoed in his voice, and she knew that he meant it.

Kagome sighed once more. Closing her eyes, she at last allowed herself total relaxation in Kouga's arms. He rested his head upon hers and closed his eyes. The darkness consumed them for some time, before a shift from the cage door announced the presence of another. Both looked up.

"Hello, Kagome."

The young girl whimpered. It was Imashirou. He was back again.

"Leave me alone!" She demanded.

A grin formed upon his lips, and for a moment, she saw a sliver of what he looked like. A small orb of light was held in his hand, illuminating just enough of his face to show the devilish, lecher-like grin upon his smooth features. "Now, that's no way to greet your love!"

Kouga stood protectively over Kagome, a snarl echoing from his throat.

"You will not harm Kagome again!" his eyes flashed angrily. "I will not allow it!"

Imashirou waved his left hand, and with a sudden burst of invisible power Kouga was thrown aside. His head slammed painfully hard into one of the metal bars. Kagome cried out and rushed to help him, but she soon found that she couldn't move. Imashirou grinned.

"That's right. Stay there. Let me come to you."

"Get away from me!!" she cried, tears falling down her cheeks. Kagome had never felt so helpless in all her life. It made her sick.

A slender hand reached out and touched her cheek. She tried to move away, but whatever bind he had upon her held fast. "So beautiful." he commented. "Soon, you will be mine."

"Never!"

"Don't be so certain love!" He leaned in and kissed her, but this was not like the last time. He pressed his lips hard into hers, painfully hard. After what seemed like long hours of mind-numbing torture, Kagome realized that this was not a kiss at all!

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No! Her mind screamed. _No! Don't let him finish it! This isn't a kiss!_ Kagome fought desperately against his spell, but soon she could not find the strength. All she knew was that she was falling. A black hole was swallowing up her mind, and she could not pull herself out. One last thought crossed her mind before she fell limp into this devil-man's arms.

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Inuyasha....

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Author's Note: _Okay, this is the last filler! I promise!_


	16. Chapter Sixteen

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Author's Note: I think I'm just going to keep juicing you guys for reviews until I reach one hundred. LOL. How does that sound?

Am I review hungry? You had better believe it. LOL. Well here's the next addition. Hope this leaves you yearning for more. Mwahahahahaaaaa!

Anyway, I should be chalk full of inspiration now. I got the Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack, so I've got some chimey and groovy new music to write to.

Go me!

---

When Inuyasha awoke, he could not explain the great feeling of anger that surged throughout his body. Manacles and chains bound him tightly to a small area on a cold stone floor. A shaft of light from an unseen ceiling bore down upon him, causing his eyes to water from the screaming pain of pure white against the darkness that surrounded him. Once more, he was entirely alone that his eyes could see. The room was empty. No sounds save for the chiming of his chains.

A growl escaped the hanyou's lips. Where was he? How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was walking through that door with the fire demon, Hiei, and after that everything had gone black. Had the youkai betrayed him?

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No, Inuyasha thought decidedly. Hiei had called out in surprise just as Inuyasha remembered falling unconscious. No, it wasn't Hiei. The fire demon was imprisoned here somewhere as well. But where? Inuyasha cast his glowing eyes left and right, his senses reaching out beyond their normal realm to find his companion.

Nothing. He was indeed alone in this room.

Sighing, Inuyasha tried desperately to fight against the manacles. He tried pulling at them, slipping free of their grasp, and even biting at them. This would have been easier had he had Tetsusaiga with him. The sword had been taken from him before he'd woken up. He'd been left helpless.

Inuyasha didn't like being helpless.

Again he tried to pull at the chains, only to fall unsuccessful.

"Damn it," he cursed, snarling.

A light laughter soon followed his quiet ranting. For a moment, Inuyasha thought it might be Hiei, but he soon realized that it was not a friendly presence. At least, one of them was not.

The scent of the more prominent presence was none other than Imashirou, but there was another scent mingled with his own. A very familiar scent...a warm scent. Kagome's scent.

"Inuyasha," greeted the male voice. More anger welled up within the hanyou. "Welcome once more."

"Bite me," he snarled.

Another laugh echoed forth from the shadows. Suddenly, a finger snapped, and the room became unusually lit by candles positioned every few feet upon the stone walls.

The room had a purely medieval look about it. Stone walls that had age etched into them like wrinkles upon an elderly woman's face surrounded the three characters. Candle and torch-holders were draped lightly with cobwebs, and rusted chains and manacles hung off the walls. Windows that had been blocked off by wooden boards were nested in iron bars and spider webs, and upward toward the very top lay a roof ceiling with bird nests poked in wherever they could fit.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked. He moved to make a sly comment until he noted the limp figure in Imashirou's arms. It thoroughly explained why he had smelled Kagome not to long ago. Immediately, Inuyasha's eyes went wide in disbelief. She smelled of fear and abuse. Her limbs, though lifeless, were still tense with trepidation. Her lifeless eyes still held a sense of pleading in them, a cry that no one had answered. "What have you done to her?" Inuyasha asked. No anger was evident through his voice, for his throat was too dry to speak.

Imashirou merely smiled, shifting Kagome in his arm slightly. "To have some fun with your woman, is all."

Inuyasha snarled. "If you touch her I will-"

"Oh well you're too late for that." The man smiled knowingly. He shifted Kagome once again in his arms and Inuyasha spotted the bruise upon her face. "We've already been having some fun, haven't we Kagome?" Of course, the girl didn't answer. She'd been drained of her senses, and her soul it seemed. Inuyasha could not respond, his fear for Kagome was too great. "I thought you might like to say a fond farewell to your lady."

"A...a what?"

Imashirou smiled once more. "Kagome has expressed that she would like to....how would you say, be mine?"

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha's mind was started to cloud over. "What do you mean? Made a decision!" his anger was soon returning to him. "SHE PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HER OWN NAME YOU SICK-O!"

"All the same...say goodbye Inuyasha."

There was a stunned silence between Inuyasha and his enemy, before...

"Inu....yasha?" The hanyou looked over, stunned. Life was struggling to return to the limp body, and a shimmer of recognition glimmered within her eyes. "Inuyasha?"

"Kagome..." he whispered, as though it were only the two of them in this chamber. Imashirou was, for a moment, forgotten. "Kagome!" he remembered at last his voice, and himself. Desperately, Inuyasha fought against the shackles. "KAGOME!"

"Inuyasha!" she was weakly struggling against the arms that held her tight now. Her hand, trembling and pale, reached out for this familiar voice and face to take her away from this place she found herself lost in. Her mind was screaming inside, but her voice could find little strength to cry out in terror. This hole, wherever she was lost in, was a hell unlike she had ever imagined. Kagome wanted out. "INUYASHA!"

"KAGOME!"

Then suddenly, everything went silent. The life within Kagome died, and she went limp once more, consumed by the darkness in her mind.

"My, wasn't that heart wrenching?" stated Imashirou in mock awe. "How cute. Too bad she won't recognize your frozen, bloody corpse when this is all over with."

Inuyasha growled. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!?"

"It's more along the lines of, what _am_ I doing to her?" Imashirou grinned. "It's a funny thing, just a brief kiss and I can devour their souls. Any soul, and then they become my slave. I've had thousands of them, but they all lose my interest in time."

"You're a monster!"

"Yes, I am." Imashirou lifted Kagome up so that she was half standing. Most of him was holding her up, but he did take the opportunity to lift her pale and inert face in his opposite hand. Her dead eyes meeting his, yet at the same time staring directly through them. "But this woman here, her beauty is astounding. I think it would be a long time before I lose interest in this one."

"And what of the ones you become board with, Imashirou? Just send them on their merry little way?"

"Oh no," the man stated with a wicked grin. "What do you think you've been being served, Inuyasha?"

The color from the hanyou's face drained immediately. "That's disgusting."

"They clean up well, don't they? Play with them for a little while, then when everything's finished and done..."

"You _feed _them to your _pets_!?!"

Imashirou frowned. "Now now, I don't like to think of it that way. I like to say I'm...recycling."

"Bah!" Inuyasha spit. "I'll kill you before you lay a hand on her. You know that, right?"

The man laughed. "We'll see." he stated, then left, Kagome still limp in his arm.

---

Hiei's eyes opened to find a world unlike what he had expected. His cloak had been removed to reveal his bare chest, and all that remained where his pants, ankle wraps, arm wrap, and his boots. The world around him had also transformed.

Realizing that he was confined within the prison of a small water filled, tube shaped chamber, he became incredibly furious. Not only that, but he was completely alone in this room he was being "stored" in. The liquid that bubbled around him was not water, he realized that when he could not fire light the darkness flame within it's depths. Whatever he was in, it was not only suppressing his powers, it was denying them entirely.

Needles and tubes were injected in his arms and back. What they were doing, Hiei wasn't sure. His eyes flew around the room, taking in what information they could. A mask covered his mouth and nose, permitting the flow of oxygen to him and back outside. Wherever outside was.

The room was dark, save for the lights being emitted from Hiei's compartment. At least, it was dark until a dozen of candles were lit at the sound of a finger snapping. Hiei could not hear it through the bubbling liquid and glass that was many inches thick. He sensed it, however, and he sensed once more the presence of the man they were searching for.

There before the chamber stood Imashirou, at his side, a petite, green haired figure that Hiei could not quite identify at the distance they stood. The man allowed her to run to Hiei's containment unit, however, and the familiar, tear filled eyes of Yukina met his own. Hiei's eyes widened in realization and fury. Not at Yukina, but at Imashirou. The fact that this man had ever touched her sickened and angered Hiei beyond anything.

"Hiei?" she called through the glass, but the demon on the other side could not hear her. Sadly, she realized this when there was little change of expression upon the fire demon's face. Sighing, she placed her hand upon the glass, spread to the finger's maximum distance. "Hiei, I'm sorry." she wept.

This took the fire demon off guard. Rarely did Yukina cry, especially in front of Hiei. But here she wept because she felt she had somehow caused this man's imprisonment.

"Please, let him go!" she begged of the heartless Imashirou. But the man just stood, seeming to soak in this scene as though it were life giving energy. "Please..."

It was at that moment that a great deal of guilt came over Hiei. He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. But he couldn't. The glass separated them by too many inches, as did Hiei's stubborn heart. He would not have her know that he was her brother, the one she was seeking still though he stood before her now. A prisoner at the will of this merciless beast Imashirou.

With a twinge of regret, Hiei placed his own hand upon the glass. As though he were going to entwine his fingers within her own, he pressed his palm against hers as though the glass were not there to separate them. For a second, each revered in this moment of closeness. It didn't matter to Yukina or Hiei who saw. It was something that needed to be done. Hiei knew that sooner or later Yukina would find who her brother was, and would only be more hurt by the verity that Hiei had never told her.

She needed to be told, but what would that leave Hiei? He could not excuse his evil ways, and he would never abandon them. They were too much his nature.

Yet, oddly enough, Yukina had always appreciated his company knowing already what it was. Would the small fact that he was her brother make much more of a difference.

__

Yes, it would. Hiei suddenly frowned, staring at his own hand that came only a few inches away from Yukina's. It was strange. Even just a few inches away, they still were worlds apart. _Friendship is one thing, but blood is a bond that cannot be broken. She cannot know. She will never know. She wouldn't understand._

At last, Yukina's hand was drawn away, and the lights of the room dimmed and then died. Hiei was left alone with his thoughts and regrets, and his longing to see his sister once more.

---

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Author's Note: Well, aren't I a slimy git? Leaving it here like that? Oh well. Guess you'll just have to keep waiting.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

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Author's Note: Holy freaking cow! I've updated at long last. (and everyone rejoices) LOL. No, I'm not really expecting rejoicing, but anyway...

I've just watched episodes #83 and #84, and lets just say I have a newfound respect (and fear) for/of Kurama. Who the hell expected that? I don't know. Pretty wicked though. I have Inuness to thank dearly for lending me her DVD though. (Hugs Inuness)

This one is for you, dear. Hope it's to your liking.

On with the show, then!

* * *

Somehow, and Yusuke wasn't quite sure _exactly _how, they made it out of the dark and damp dungeons of Imashirou's lair. Kuwabara was still slightly scarred from his mouse encounter, Kurama was fighting to keep silent from giggle fits (Kuwabara was being a wuss about the situation), Yusuke was gritting his teeth against punching...well, anyone, and Kigeko was about to go postal and kill all of them she could reach.

The first floor, or the main floor, was void of life. All life. Nothing but barren stone and filthy walls could be seen stretching from one end of the place to another.

"Well, for a Warlord, he sure doesn't keep house too well." Commented Yusuke with a raised eyebrow.

Kurama, nodding, stepped up to Yusuke's side. Kuwabara and Kigeko took up the rear of the group, their own eyes casting from left to right in a manner of deep suspicion.

"Well, now what?" asked Kuwabara. Yusuke sighed. Turning his head, he shot a sarcastic grin in his buddy's direction and gave him a thumbs up.

"Why don't you shove your head up your ass, run around in circles while screaming 'I'm a monkey!' really loud while beating on your chest. Maybe _that_ will get this guy's attention."

Kigeko strained herself really hard to not laugh.

Angered, Kuwabara was ready to bring about a verbal retaliation when Kurama silenced them. In one fluid motion they stepped to the sides of the hall, hiding behind the giant stone pillars that littered the otherwise clear surroundings. Each watched in interest at the staircase as a cascading assortment of shadows fell down upon the floor. First came the familiar face of Yukina. This caused Kuwabara, Kurama, and Yusuke to gasp. Next followed a man that Yusuke could only guess was Imashirou (the smug look on his face helped a great deal), and in his arms was a limp brunette with a face that was the epitome of innocence.

Yusuke was suddenly, and angrily, reminded of Keiko.

"Bastard," he grumbled. "Why is he doing this?"

"He's nothing more than a monster, Yusuke." whispered Kurama sternly. It was clear that he too was angered by the fact that this man had taken Yukina. Silently, he wondered if Hiei was aware of this. The fire demon was particularly protective of his sister, and this would surely not sit well with him.

"I'll kill him." Whispered Kuwabara. Kurama frowned.

"Patience, Kuwabara. We must wait to strike. We still need to find Hiei and Inuyasha before we do anything else. "

His face reddened, but Kuwabara obeyed the orders.

When they were certain they were now alone, the four ran swiftly up the stairs and to the first floor, passing several doors on their way there. Kurama, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped as they reached a stairwell leading up.

"What is it?" Kigeko asked, looking behind them in fear that they were being followed.

"A scent," he stated, turning his head around in all different directions. "Inuyasha is on this floor."

Yusuke straightened up. "Where?"

Kurama looked around, his brow furrowed and his green eyes darting around in an intense search and find. He could not quite pinpoint the scent. It seemed to fade and then grow again, like a pulsating aura.

An aura?

Yes, that was what it was. Not a scent, and aura! But then, why could he smell it? Was it that powerful? No, it was a ploy. Inuyasha was sending out his aura in hopes that someone would find him, and in case there was a demon that was too numb to sense an aura, there was a scent to follow in it's wake.

"Brilliant," he muttered, almost to himself. He flew across the floor, Yusuke close at his heels with Kuwabara and Kigeko struggling to keep up pace with them. Suddenly, the fox stopped and in one fluid motion kicked down the door before him. Yusuke raised any eyebrow at this uncharacteristic behavior, but did not question. The red haired demon leapt through the threshold, and without questioning, Yusuke followed.

There was Inuyasha, chains and shackles about his ankles, wrists, and neck. He seemed beyond downtrodden, the amber eyes were lifeless, and he did not respond when the four came rampaging through the doorway. This put the companions off guard, and for a moment, Kurama feared the worst.

Slowly, he inched forward, signally for the others to stay behind.

"Inuyasha?" he called calmly into the chamber. It was amazingly large considering that this chamber had merely been an extension off a first floor corridor. For a moment, Kurama wondered if this castle was not all it seemed. "Inuyasha, can you hear me?"

Kurama continued to inch closer, making no sudden moves and no loud noises, till at last he was kneeled beside the hanyou. Concern mounted in his emerald green eyes, and a sympathetic smile danced across his softened, wise features.

"It's all right," he urged, tugging at the half-demon's arm. "We've come to get you out of here."

There was no response. Kurama looked worriedly over to Yusuke and the others, then turned once more to Inuyasha.

"What's wrong with him?" echoed Yusuke from behind.

Kurama frowned deeply, his brow knitting in deep contemplation. "I'm not sure."

"Well, get him up!"

The frown deepened. "I'm not sure how possible that is. He seems to be traumatized."

"From what?" Yusuke moved carelessly to the hanyou's side, startling Kurama greatly. The Spirit Detective kneeled and started shaking Inuyasha at his shoulders. "WHAT-IS-THE-MATTER-WITH-YOU?" he growled. There was no response.

This time, Yusuke resorted to slapping the half-demon. "LOOK! I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, AND PERSONALLY I DON'T CARE! BUT WE'VE GOT FRIENDS WE NEED TO SAVE AND YOUR SITTING HERE IN SELF PITY ISN'T HELPING! NOW-GET-UP!"

"Yusuke!" Kurama hissed in warning. Suddenly, a clawed hand reached up and grasped Yusuke's wrist. Hard.

"He has Kagome," the hanyou whispered.

Kurama's countenance softened at the mention of the half-demon's companion. "I'm sorry?"

"Imashirou. He has Kagome. He's done something to her. She doesn't know who she is or who I am anymore."

Yusuke and Kurama exchanged glances.

"That must have been the brunette Imashirou was carrying!" Kigeko announced from the shadows of the threshold.

"Yeah, but he had Yukina too. What's he planning on doing with _her_?"

The last response was obviously Kuwabara.

Inuyasha's head bent low, his eyes closed tight against a flow of tears. Kurama bowed his head respectfully. "He's going to kill her!" Inuyasha started. "He's going to kill her and there's nothing I can do about it!"

It was Yusuke's turn. He frowned deeply, a look of understanding unexpectedly falling over the boy's face.

"Look, as long as you love this girl there's nothing you can't do for her. If you're willing to save her you'll do anything you can to get her back," Inuyasha brought his eyes up slightly. A glimmer of something shone within the amber depths, and this brought hope to Kurama's heart. "You can't just give up now, especially when she needs you most. You'll have yourself for the rest of your life if you do that," silence. Then, "Let's go get your girl,"

Kurama broke the chains with his whip, and a tired, but very angry Inuyasha stood, fingers crooked and ready to draw blood.

"Let's go." he growled.

"Wait!" Kurama stated. "Do you know where they're keeping Hiei?"

* * *

Inuyasha lead them down the steps and into a very dark chamber. It was as cold as ice. An eerie silence that seemed to be penetrated by nothing hung dank in the air. The room was....empty.

"I don't get it." Yusuke frowned.

Kurama's countenance held a similar expression. "Nor do I. Where is he?"

The sudden and abrupt sound of a light switch resounded behind them, and all turned to find Kigeko messing about with a control panel.

All initial reactions here halted however, as a set of containment tubes lit up across the walls. One by one, a great, yellow shaft of light illuminated what was contained within them. Demons of all shapes and sizes were contained within these cylinder shaped units, all of them equally powerful.

"He wasn't in here originally," Inuyasha croaked as his own eyes danced around the room. They were completely surrounded by these units. "But he would have been moved here after....there!" Inuyasha pointed a clawed hand to his left, and all eyes turned.

In one, swift movement, all were standing before Hiei's cylindrical shaped chamber. His eyes were closed and his body bobbed up and down with the flow of the liquid.

"What is he being contained in?" asked Kurama, his eyes glancing curiously about this contraption that held Hiei. Inuyasha shrugged. Frowning, Kurama circled the chamber numerous times. "I don't see anything that would release him." he sighed in frustration.

"We come all this way for nothing," Kuwabara griped, shoving his hands disappointedly into his pockets.

Yusuke whirled around on his friend, glaring. "We did _not_ come all this way for nothing!" he growled heatedly. Kuwabara backed off, and Kigeko raised her brow in a moment of being impressed. "What plans do you have, Kurama?"

The kitsune had already pulled out his whip, lashing furiously at the glass. It was no use. Yusuke stepped in and tried his Spirit Gun.

The smoke cleared to reveal the chamber still very much in tact. But they had made some progress.

Hiei's eyes were open.

All three of them.

* * *

****

Author's Note: Well, how's that?


	18. Chapter Eighteen

****

Author's Note: _Wow. Ninety reviews with only seventeen chapters. You guys rock! Here's an extra chapter just for you._

---

Hiei's eyes were open.

All three of them.

The Jagan was blazing especially in the center of the fire demon's forehead. Hiei wasn't looking particularly at any of them. He was staring straight ahead, his eyes sightless and unmoving.

Yusuke, frustrated as he was, took to banging on the glass.

"HIEI! HIEI CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Slowly, the three eyes fell down to peer at Yusuke. A flash went through the fiery red depths of the two primary eyes. The third simply stared on.

"He's recognized you!" Kurama breathed in shock. Yusuke turned to face the red headed man, his own eyes blazing in anger. True, Hiei might have been his least favorite of the group due to his sarcastic manners and bad mood, but _no one _had the right to hurt or incarcerate his friends.

"Then start helping me! Don't just stand there!"

Kurama inched forward, uncertain. His eyes were swollen with guilt and pity with his friend standing here before him in this prison, completely unaware of what was being done to him. Kurama only felt worse due to the fact that he couldn't do anything about it.

"Hiei? Hiei can you hear us? It's Kurama. And Yusuke? Kuwabara is here too, with Inuyasha and Kigeko. Do you remember them?" There was no answer. "Hiei?"

The fire demon merely continued to bob up and down, his eyes dancing from one face to the other, uncertainty growing in them. Kurama strained to hold back a roar of anger.

Balling up his fist, he punched the glass hard.

Much to the amazement of Yusuke and the others, the glass didn't crack at all. This only made Kurama angrier.

"This is rather unlike Kurama," stated Kuwabara with a frown. "He's usually so cool and collective."

Yusuke nodded in agreement. It was well know that Hiei and Kurama were friends, best friends if there was such a term in either of the demon's books. Neither liked being helpless, and now that Kurama was standing here unable to discern what it was that made this glass so impenetrable, he felt nothing more than that.

Silence, and then suddenly;

"Let me try."

All turned to see Kigeko approach. Yusuke stepped aside, as did Kurama. Kuwabara, who was already a safe distance away, backed up more.

"What are you planning on doing?" asked Yusuke. The girl shrugged, a slight hint of humor flickering in her eyes. Yusuke moved to ask another question, but a steady glance from Kurama silenced him. Kigeko had her eyes closed. Balled fists were tensing and flexing, as though preparing themselves to hit a force harder than stone. She was muttering to herself, words no one could understand.

It wasn't a spell. Kigeko's face didn't have the supreme expression of concentration that one needed to perform a spell. Instead, it seemed as though she were recalling past memories. All of them knew that anger was what triggered Kigeko's powers, but no one had had to see her conjure up the emotion herself.

Then, as though a switch had been turned on in her head, Kigeko opened her eyes.

A glaring red light lit behind her pupils, and the hair on her head spiraled upward, spiking in an almost direct ninety degree angle. Claws grew on her fingers the exact length of her palms. Kigeko was no longer human, but demon once more. A demon without a shape, and powers that had no anchor.

Yusuke understood that powers like that could be very dangerous if they were not properly controlled.

Kigeko plunged her deadly hand deep into the glass, or attempted to. It didn't drive through, but her nails did leave scratches. This was a great improvement considering that Yusuke's Spirit Gun and Kurama's Rose Whip had done nothing.

Hiei watched this on the other side of the glass with a slightly amused expression.

Kigeko, however, did not notice this. In ecstasy due to the blind rage she was in, the full formation of her powers were beginning to take place. The nails grew longer in her irritation at the glass. Fangs sprouted from her upper gums, and the ears on her head grew to a high point that protruded beneath her spiked hair. No words escaped her lips, only guttural howls of anger.

Fifteen minutes into this archaic display of ferocity and pent up rage, Kigeko resumed her normal human physique. Her hands were bleeding terribly, but she had definitely made some progress.

"Your turn." She sighed tiredly, and allowed herself to rest up against the nearest wall.

Not paying attention to her dilemma, Kurama nodded and sent forth his Rose Whip once more. Now, with the major facing of the cylindrical chamber having been cut away, the whip was able to cut deeper into the glass, but only slightly.

"Here, let me try." Volunteered Yusuke.

"WAIT!" Hollered Kurama. "If you destroy the chamber and the wirings through his body you could kill him," the fox turned to Kuwabara. "Use your sword."

"What?" Kuwabara raised an eyebrow.

"Use your sword to break the glass the rest of the way." Kurama repeated.

Kuwabara nodded. Summoning his sword, he tightened his fingers about it's hilt till his knuckles whitened from lack of blood. Then, with a might roar, he allowed the spirit forged weapon to come crashing down upon the cylindrical shape.

All that was left of the chamber came crashing to pieces.

Kuwabara was swept from his feet as the strange liquid flooded onto the floor. He coughed and sputtered, wet and angry.

"What is this stuff?" He asked, lifting his hand to find it covered in a slimy substance. Kurama was at his side, frowning. There was a rage flaming in his eyes that Kuwabara had never seen before. Fearful, he scooted aside slightly.

"It is a chemical substance that subdues the powers of any demon when they come in contact with it for too long."

It was Yusuke's turn to frown.

"The effects aren't permanent, are they?"

"That depends," Kurama answered, his eyes now turning sadly to the limp form of Hiei. He'd still not been disconnected from the wiring and tubing that had maintained his life source while imprisoned. "On how long he has been held within the fluid."

Yusuke's frown deepened. Together, he and Kurama began to carefully unsnap the wiring and tubing that scarred the fire demon's body.

Suddenly, one of the muscled arms whipped out, grabbing Yusuke brutally about the arm.

"What--ha-happened?" He choked desperately, his eyes wide with confusion and, Yusuke might have guessed, fear.

"You've been held within a chamber of Makai-Fluid," said Kurama with a sad sigh. "For quite some time, if I may add."

Hiei frowned. "How long _exactly_?"

"That we do not know."

Now increasingly angry, Hiei moved to stand. Of course, he was going to see if he had been rendered permanently powerless. But his body was not strong enough and would not be able to pull out of the affects quickly enough, if they were would at all.

Weak and powerless, Hiei slumped over. Yusuke caught him just in time.

"Careful there, buddy." He warned, his voice croaking and his young face etched in concern. Hiei shrugged him off and grunted. The only thank you Yusuke knew to expect.

"C'mon! Let's get going!" Kuwabara urged. "We still have to rescue Yukina!"

A flash of fire passed through the red eyes of Hiei, and the Jagan quavered slightly in the center of his forehead. He'd nearly forgotten. That bastard had Yukina. Hiei nodded curtly, not meeting anyone's eye.

"Are you sure you can make it all right?" Kurama voiced his concerns, as he often did in the case of a friend's well being.

"I'll be fine!" Snapped Hiei. "You needn't worry about me." Shakily, the fire demon stepped forward and off of the platform that had once held his chamber. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Kuwabara and Inuyasha nodded.

Yusuke grinned, eager to get the move on.

"Let's go."

---

****

Author's Note: _Well, there's that then. Sorry I keep throwing all these fillers at you. You people must hate me._


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**__**

Author's Note: Hey! What do you know? I've updated. 96 reviews aren't bad. Wondering where some of you went, but I'm not going to be picky. I'm kind of surprised my first anime story was so successful. Thanks a bunch you guys! The story's almost reached a close!

---

It didn't take long for the five to catch up with Imashirou.

Not that they needed to catch up. The Warlord was eagerly awaiting their presence.

In a large antechamber located near what had to be the heart of the castle, Imashirou waited. He sat, cross legged and sipping from an elegantly carved golden goblet. Eyes that were as piercing has a hawk's spied them from over the rim of the goblet, and though his features were covered, Yusuke knew that he was smiling.

Eagerly.

When he had finished, Imashirou set aside the chalice and stood.

"I see that you have at last found me," he stated with a sly grin. "Good. I was getting worried that you'd leave without saying hello."

Yusuke cracked his knuckles. Teeth gritted against the nerves that were tensing in his neck and back. Too badly did he want to wrap his fingers around this arrogant man's throat and throttle the live out of him.

Something told Yusuke that it wasn't going to be quite that easy though.

Imashirou grinned. White, glinting teeth with canines as sharp as a wolf's were visible through his thin, smiling lips. Yellow eyes, still eagerly considering each team member in turn, danced in their sockets, while an impeccable white mane of waist length hair flowed from his head. Billowing robes, as white as his hair, lazily dressed his tall, slender form while armor danced in slender wraps around his torso and shoulders.

For a moment, Inuyasha was humorously reminded of his elder brother, Sesshomaru.

"We've got more to say than that," Kuwabara promised, rolling up his sleeves. "Why don't you come down here and have tea with us?"

Imashirou's grin widened.

"I'm afraid I was never much for tea."

"Then why not come down for a diet soda?" Yusuke asked in a mock advertising manner. "We've got your choices of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Lemonade, or a nice, refreshing bottle of WHOOP ASS!"

Without a thought, Yusuke leapt at the man with ferocious speed.

Imashirou had been expecting this.

He drew out a long, slender arm and caught Yusuke around the temples. Proceeding to squeeze, very hard. He began to speak, now holding the attention of the others.

"I am not what you think I am," he began, still holding a struggling Yusuke. "And I have more power than you will ever know. I do not simply collect demons, but I collect their powers. I collect them and make them my own."

Kurama momentarily paled and spared a glance toward Hiei. The fire demon's jaw was clenched, and an inferno burned in his red eyes. Apparently, his thoughts were not much different from Kurama's.

"I have the abilities of over one thousand demons, and then some," the warlord continued, a glint of malice in his eyes as they turned toward Inuyasha. "That girl of yours was particularly delicious."

Inuyasha paled, slowly drawing Tetsusaiga from it's sheath and snarling.

"What have you done with her?"

"What I have done with all my other pets when I've finished with them," he lifted Yusuke, now limp, from the ground. "What I could do to your little Spirit Detective friend right now."

Kuwabara started, but Kurama held him back. Hiei's arms twitched spasmodically, impatient to get moving. If he had harmed Kagome, what had he done to Yukina?

Imashirou seemed to read his mind.

With a motion, as though Yusuke were simply an annoyance, he flung the Spirit Detective away and turned sideways, a smile growing deeper onto his pale, pointed features.

"You needn't worry, Hiei," he stated. "I haven't gotten to _her _yet."

Hiei's jaw was clenched tighter than a bear trap, and Kurama sensed it.

"And you never will." The fire demon stated casually, though his voice was icy cool.

Imashirou grinned wickedly. "And you're going to stop me?"

"If you're so much of a fool to know better than to lay your weapon down now, yes."

"Lay down my weapon?" Imashirou grinned. "Lay it down to what? A powerless match stick such as yourself?"

Kuwabara snorted, a mistake that he was quite lucky Hiei had not been paying attention to.

"I am far from powerless." Hiei retorted. Kurama's nerves jumped at this very dangerous bluff. Imashirou was most likely certain that Hiei's powers were fully drained. He probably contained them now within his body, if nothing else.

In this case, Hiei was toying with death, and did not have a defense to put up around himself.

He was going to get himself in trouble.

Imashirou was willing to allow this to happen. Apparently he wanted to experiment with some of his new toys. Now, he had five people to experiment on.

The demon warlord lifted his hand. Long nails, pointed in dangerous angles grew from the tips of long, slender fingers. A devilish smile danced across his features, and Kurama saw their mistake.

"You're no man!"

"Of course not," came Imashirou. "I'm nothing like you've ever seen before. Not man; not demon; not wizard, machine, monster, alien...or whatever you like to call it."

"Then what are you?" Kuwabara shouted, his eye twitching nervously.

Imashirou closed his eyes, grinning. "You will just have to find out on your own."

Yusuke was up again, rubbing his temples and groaning. Kurama was at his side.

"Are you all right?"

Yusuke merely groaned, his head resting against his knees. This wasn't good. He probably had drained Yusuke of some of his powers now as well.

Their options were dying as they stood there.

"So, now that I've taken some of your more prominent advantages...." Imashirou raised a hand. Lights flicked on everywhere. "Let us begin."

**__**

---

Author's Note: A storm has caused me to halt this. Until later.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Yusuke was up again in an instant. Whoever this bastard was, he was quite certain that he didn't like him.

"IMASHIROU!" He hollered over the empty space.

"What game is this?" Kurama questioned, stepping forward in case he needed to stop Yusuke from running headlong into another attack.

"No game, Kurama," answered the man lightly. He stepped down from his throne like chair and entered what he no doubt counted to be a ring of some sort. "A simple, gentlemanly battle."

Hiei growled angrily. It was Kurama, however, who continued to ask the questions.

"What devilry is this? A battle? To what means?"

"A battle to the death." Imashirou stated.

"Done!" Yusuke snarled, but Kurama held him back.

"But there are six of us and only one of you. What could you hope to accomplish with a one-on-one battle?"

Imashirou smiled. "Oh no. What fun would be in _that_?"

Kurama stepped back, not quite sure he was understanding what this man meant.

"Are you implying that you wish to battle all five of us, at once?"

Imashirou nodded, a grin growing across his pale face.

Either this man was incredibly stupid, or he knew something that none of them did know. Hiei's arms were still twitching with muscle tension, and Kuwabara's right eye was doing so spasmodically also. Yusuke's fists were clenched so tightly against his palms that he was drawing blood. Inuyasha stepped forward.

"What happens if we lose?"

"You mean if one of you falls?" He paused. "I take your powers, as I have done with all my other pets. Does that suit you?"

"Hardly."

Laughing, Imashirou stepped forward.

"Well, enough talk. Let us begin."

"Wait!" Kurama begged, but nothing happened. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Inuyasha all leapt out of view, taking solace in the surrounding shadows. Kigeko stood beside the fox, trusting more in his wisdom than the others'.

"They listen well?" She asked with a sly grin.

"Always," Kurama sighed in exasperation. He turned to Kigeko. "I know you are a fighter, but how long could you last against a man of this stamina?"

The girls shrugged.

"I will manage."

Kurama frowned. That wasn't the answer he wanted. Seeing his concerned expression, Kigeko laughed.

"I will fair well enough on my own, just as you and your friends do..." she trailed off, as though an idea came to her mind.

"What is it?"

"How do you think the five of you could fair alone?"

Kurama was shocked.

"You're just going to abandon the cause?"

A glare shot from Kigeko's eyes that made Kurama step back.

"Are you mad? This is a cause I dragged you into. Abandoning it to another would be foolish and lazy. I was merely thinking," she leaned in so that none of the others would hear. Imashirou's eyes were glancing around everywhere for the others. He was powerful, Kurama noted, while listening to Kigeko, but he as a rookie on the battlefield. This would play a severe advantage to them. "I will go and free those who have not yet been drained of their powers."

"And if you should fall into trouble?"

Kigeko shook her head. "There is no trouble to fall into that I need to fear." Flashing a clawed hand, Kigeko winked and sped away.

Sighing, Kurama turned his gaze to Imashirou. He had somehow caught the warlord's eyes.

"Where is your girlfriend?" He asked with a grin.

"That is none of your concern." Kurama replied, and in a single bound he leapt up into the rafters of the ceiling, peering casually through the darkness for his companions.

Yusuke was coming up behind Imashirou, while Kuwabara and Inuyasha were one each of his flanks. But where was...

"Looking for something, fox?"

Kurama looked up to find Hiei a few feet away from him, sitting as though he prepared to do nothing else but watch the battle.

"Why are you not joining in?" Kurama asked, though he was afraid he already knew the answer.

"I will," Hiei commented, not meeting the kitsune's eyes. "When the time is right."

"When your powers return?"

Hiei's eyes flashed angrily, but he knew better than to deny that he was powerless. He did not say it, however.

Kurama nodded in understanding.

Both watched the battle unfold beneath them.

---

Kigeko wandered idly around in the darkness. She had been able to find a few souls that had not been sucked dry by the Demon Warlord, but they would have been useless in the battle against them. Kigeko had simply released them. Most had run off in fear, but a few had stayed to trail on in her shadow.

One in particular; a fox child about a foot and a half tall, and very talkative. He'd been in a small enclosing not much larger than a cage in which a person would hold their cat while on a trip to the vet.

"Shippou's the name!" He had announced, bouncing around happily. "Illusions are my game! How might I be helping a fine young lady the likes of yourself?"

Kigeko, hardly amused and unaffected by this idiot child's meandering compliments, just kept walking. Shippou didn't get the point.

"Honestly, lady. You freed me! I am forever in your debt!" He bowed low.

"Well then get out of here, if you know what's good for you!"

The child peered up at her with large eyes and a pout.

"B-but I can't just leave. I need to f-find my friends!"

Kigeko sighed.

"They're probably already dead. Or drained of their energy."

The child paled. Clearly this was not the thing to be telling a child. Even a demon child.

"What? But what about Kagome? And Miroku? And Sango?"

This Miroku and Sango didn't sound familiar, but Kagome did.

"Kagome?" She asked, suddenly confused . "You know Kagome?"

Shippou's eyes brightened.

"Yes I do! Have you seen her?"

The image of Kagome's limp form in Imashirou's arms suddenly flashed back to her.

"No." She lied, and continued down the isle of cages containing less than useless demons.

"Oh," there was a pause. "Well can I stay with you then till I find her?"

Kigeko groaned inwardly, but nodded.

__

That wench better not have died. Was the only through running through her mind as Shippou chatted idly about...everything.

---

Inuyasha was the first to swing at the Warlord.

And the first to regret his move.

With a swipe of his hand, Imashirou sent Inuyasha spiraling into the nearest stone pillar. He fell limp to the ground, buried beneath bits of stone. Yusuke, seeing this, took the opportunity to deliver a blow of his own.

It was successful.

Imashirou went flying and crumpled easily against the stone wall.

Snorting out of amusement, Yusuke stood proudly, and in plain view of everyone in the room. Imashirou was now lurking in the shadows, an advantage Yusuke had not yet realized he had.

Out of nowhere, the warlord flung himself at the Spirit Detective. A wave of black consumed Yusuke and sent him spiraling into a pillar.

Kuwabara took this opportunity to strike. He drew out his Spirit Sword and swiped at the warlord...missing by a mile. Imashirou had leapt out of the way and now loomed over Kuwabara's back. Yusuke screamed out a warning but it was too late.

Swift as lightening, Imashirou struck out his hand, one finger over each temple. The Spirit Sword died instantly as Kuwabara began to twitch convulsively in the warlord's hands.

"KUWABARA!" Yusuke screamed, but it wasn't necessary. A green like vine snapped from the ceiling and wrapped tightly about the hand that held Kuwabara.

All eyes drifted up to find Kurama, eyes narrowed dangerously, holding the man's power at bay.

Kuwabara fell to the ground limp, but Imashirou was now paying him no attention.

"I was wondering when you would join us."

---

"Not him!" Shippou begged, his eyes being cast in suspicion toward the dog demon on the other side of the barred door. "Anyone but him!"

Kigeko sighed.

"You said that at the last man we found."

"Yeah but...but...this one's _different_!"

"How so?"

The demon stood and approached them. Kigeko was on her guard, and Shippou as well, though he took care to hide behind this young girl.

"He knows me," the demon answered with a calm grin. His voice was like silk, but Kigeko wasn't falling for it. "He's known me for a long time."

Kigeko's brow raised in mock interest.

"Your Inuyasha's brother!"

"Half brother," The demon corrected. He then turned his gaze to Kigeko. "I'm Sesshomaru."

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough."

Kigeko nodded. She couldn't really argue with that.

"I'll let you out," she promised, "if you help me out in turn."

Sesshomaru bowed his head. "I will be in your debt."

Kigeko nodded. Letting lose the tangle of keys, she opened the barred door. Shippou let lose a terrified squeak, but Kigeko knew that this demon would make no move against her.

"Now, I'm looking for a friend of mine..."

---

Kigeko knocked idly on the walls of a specific cell.

"What?" Snapped an all too familiar voice.

Grinning, Kigeko leaned idly against the side of the cell door. "Is that how you treat your friends?"

There was a pause.

"Kigeko?"

"Greetings, Hikari!"


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

The battle was not turned at all in Yusuke's favor. Though Kurama, Kuwabara, and Inuyasha fought fiercely to battle Imashirou at his side, they were making little more than a dent in this man's powers.

"I don't understand it," Kurama breathed as they leapt out of the way of yet another attack. "He should be near exhaustion! Yet he barely shows signs of tiredness!"

That news didn't help Yusuke's mood any. True, Imashirou seemed completely untouched by the random attacks of these four friends while the rest of them were on the verge of keeling over.

"Where the hell is Hiei?" Yusuke breathed while avoiding a pillar of flame aimed in his direction. He missed being completely singed by just a fraction of an inch.

"Hiei's powers haven't returned yet," Kurama spitefully informed him.

"Well they better hurry up," Kuwabara muttered angrily, a frown creasing his brow. "We're not going to last much longer."

Inuyasha, a few meters away, taking cover in the shadows, sighed in exasperation. "This sucks! Where's backup when you need it?"

"Someone call?"

All heads rose at the sound of a familiar voice.

Kigeko stood at the base of the stairs with at least twenty other demons in tow. Shippou sat calmly on her shoulder. She was flanked by Sesshomaru on her left, and an unknown girl at her right. Hikari, Kurama guessed.

Hikari was taller than Kigeko, with slightly longer brown, curly hair and sea green eyes. She had long fingernails and a well muscled physique that told all of them she was no novice to battle.

"About damn time," Yusuke laughed, wiping a trickle of blood from his chin. The others were grinning as well, all save Inuyasha.

"What are _you_ doing here, Sesshomaru?" the hanyou spat.

Grinning, Sesshomaru cast his gaze aside toward Imashirou.

"I'm not here by my will, half brother," commented the demon with a maniacal snarl. "I was imprisoned here. I've come to slay this warlord and save Rin."

"Rin?" Kurama raised an eyebrow. Inuyasha answered.

"Some human girl-child that he's infatuated with."

Kuwabara frowned.

"That's just gross, man."

"Not like that you moron," Inuyasha hit the boy over the head with the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Well, if you're going to help us, start making yourself useful."

Sesshomaru nodded happily and leapt to the challenge. Kigeko followed with Hikari at her side, and a slew of other demons in their shadow answered the call as well.

__

We may just win this, Kurama dared to hope.

---

Hiei had traveled far from the battle. In just a few moments, he had followed the scent of Yukina and found himself in an anti chamber similar to the one he was held in. The wall was lined with the thin, dead forms of hundreds of young woman. Demon and human.

The smell alone made bile rise in the fire demon's throat. He swallowed hard against the wave of sickness and pressed on through the chamber until he found the two faces he was looking for. There was the dark brunette that the dog demon Inuyasha was so besotted with. A few holds down, Yukina was being kept as well.

Hiei's anger took over within seconds. Both women were soon freed from their prison. Though she was unconscious, Yukina was otherwise all right.

He couldn't say the same for Kagome. Hiei flung one over each shoulder and left, heading slowly back upstairs where the battle took place.

Suddenly, the shuddering form of a small child caught Hiei's eye. He glared in the direction, not quite certain what to do. Laying both women gently on the floor, Hiei approached the trembling thing cautiously, though the glare on his countenance had not dissipated.

"Who are you?"

The figure tucked itself tighter into the corner. Hiei sighed. He had no time for games.

"If you want, I can take you away from here."

There was a pause.

"Do you know where Sesshomaru-sama is?"

"Who?"

"Sesshomaru-sama. He's...he takes care of me, and protects me."

Hiei shook his head.

"I do not know where this man is. But I will take you away from this man if you will let me."

Hiei could now see that this trembling figure was nothing more than a little girl. A young, weak little girl who had no way of defending herself, even if she desired to. Her eyes darted around nervously. Hiei couldn't really blame her for not trusting him. There was no way of knowing what Imashirou had done to her, or what she had been forced to witness. Suddenly, the brown eyes widened at the sight of Kagome's limp form.

"I know her," she whispered weakly, coming from the shadows to reveal a bruised face and neck. Hiei winced, but hid his expression well. He nodded.

"Yes, there are many of us here. This Sesshomaru you're looking for, he may be here as well. If you come with me, I promise to help you find him."

Something between sympathy and pity had risen in Hiei's heart. He wasn't sure why he made the promise, but he did, and something in this girl's eyes had cut through the stone and reached a tender section of heart that few even knew existed.

"My name is Rin,"

---

The added force alone was an unexpected overbalance on the scale. Imashirou was failing badly now. The numerous attacks from each direction caused him to misjudge on several attacks, which only caused him more pain as he left so many angles of his body open.

The battle would be won. Yusuke knew it. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face as Sesshomaru brought the man to his knees. Hikari sent two deep incisions down the center of his back, one on each side of his spine. The white robes and smooth polished stone were soaked with warm blood. Steam rose from the new forming pools, due to the hot liquid mingling with the cold stone.

Kigeko soon leapt in. Shippou had abandoned her for a safer spot in the rafters above their heads, much to her relief. Her hair curled, eyes blazing red, horns sprouted and nails lengthening, Kigeko made a very inhuman move.

She took the nails that grew from her thumbs and jammed them deep into the eye sockets of Imashirou. Fowl hissing noises erupted from both beings, but Kigeko's were of pleasure. With a flick of her wrists, she'd blinded the warlord permanently.

No amount of magic or skill would allow those torn eyeballs to fit properly back into their sockets.

By this time, most were standing in awe of the spectacle. Kigeko, Hikari, and Sesshomaru were still in plain view. Imashirou writhed in pain on the ground. His fingers scratched desperately at the stone and air, while his bruised body crawled desperately for a haven from these merciless attackers.

"I SURRENDER!" he screamed in a voice that was most definitely human. "I SURRENDER! LEAVE ME IN PEACE!"

---

"I'm afraid that that cannot be done," hissed a cold voice from the shadows.

In a flash, Hiei passed by the warlord once. A deep slash had gone through his stomach, for the warlord was on his knees and gazing upward into the red nothingness that was his bloody eye sockets.

"That was for all the lives you've taken!"

Another flash. A deep sword wound was now evident in the man's chest. Imashirou was now gasping for air.

"That was for all the lives you've disrupted for all the death you've caused."

Another flash. The warlord's head fell to the floor while his body twitched spasmodically. A few seconds later, and the body too soon fell. Backward, leaving a screaming, gaping face a few feet away, with eyeless sockets and blood pouring like tears down fair skin.

"And that, is for pissing me off."

Kigeko watched this with amazement. Kuwabara paled while Kurama only stared on. Sesshomaru seemed pleased with the performance, while Yusuke sat with a stupid smile on his face. Hikari had a slight grin on her face, though the exact purpose of it's nature could not be completely read.

"That was quite a show," Kigeko laughed. The others shared it, mainly out of nervousness.

"Is that it? We're finished?" Kuwabara asked in a shaking voice.

"Seems that way," Yusuke answered from behind. He shrugged and made for the upstairs.

---

****

Author's Note: _Okay, one more chapter guys. Thanks a bunch for all the reviews. You all rock!_

Hope I didn't make anyone sick with the details...I'd feel bad if I did.


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Kigeko, Hikari, and the others had all left the tree haven that had once been their shelter to Inuyasha and the unconscious Kagome. He hadn't asked for them to leave, but it had been a tacit understanding that it was what they deserved after all they'd been through. Even their friends, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou had stayed outside.

Much to Kigeko's relief, Shippou had lost his interest in her and was now bothering Kurama.

"_You're_ a fox demon?" he asked over and over again.

"Yes, yes I am, partly, at least. This isn't my demon form." Kurama was quickly looking for a way to escape this young kitsune, but was having little luck.

Yusuke and the others, however, were having a delightful time with his predicament.

"Hey, Shippou," Yusuke called out to him. "Maybe the two of you are related?"

The eyes of both fox demons widened. Shippou's in happy realization, and Kurama's in fear.

"Hey!" Shippou called out, leaping from one of Kurama's shoulders to the other. "That could be! You could be like my great, great, great, great, great, great..."

Kurama sighed, a large sweat drop falling down his face in resignation. The little tyke continued to bounce around happily.

"How could Kurama be related to you if you don't even live in the same dimension?" Kigeko asked with a flashy grin. Hikari laughed out loud while Shippou plopped himself down on the ground to ponder this.

"How long is it going to take them?" Hiei asked, not bothering to mask his annoyance and impatience.

"As long as they need, I guess," sighed Yusuke. "We don't know what's wrong with her, and whether or not anyone can help her."

They were both talking about Kagome, of course.

However, there were other matters pressing Hiei's mind. Like how they were going to get home.

Kurama sighed. It seemed that all of their problems were far from being solved.

* * *

"Kagome?"

There was no response. Inuyasha had been doing this for the past hour with no improvements to show for it. Wherever Kagome was, it wasn't with him here and now.

Though he tried to hide it, Inuyasha knew very well that was panicking. Kagome's pulse was weakening by the moment, and her skin was becoming whiter with every passing minute.

"Kagome?" he growled again. "Kagome, don't do this to me! Don't leave me!"

Silence was his answer. Silence, and the haggard breathing of a dying mortal girl. Inuyasha was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. Even Kurama's extensive knowledge of healing herbs did nothing to wake Kagome from her slumber. Panic had begun to infect Inuyasha's mind, and fear grasped his heart with an iron claw, refusing to let go.

"Kagome?"

The hand that had been so weakly holding to his own for the past hour had suddenly gone limp, and whatever muscles in Kagome's body that were tensed gave way to the cold numbness that was now quickly enveloping her.

"No! Kagome!"

He cradler her head in his right arm while shaking her violently with his left hand. "Kagome, wake up damn it! This isn't funny anymore!" He paused. "It was _never _funny! Come on, Kagome! Just say something. Say anything! Open your eyes!"

Tears were threatening to take over the hanyou. His hands trembled as he brushed a lock of black hair away from Kagome's whitened face. "Do...anything!"

Voice breaking, hands trembling, and tears threatening to betray his heart, Inuyasha allowed his head to fall into the crook of Kagome's cool neck. Silent sobs wracked his form as everything around him grew mysteriously dark. Inuyasha, however, did not notice this.

A sullen song rose on the still air of the underground room and the candles flickered. Once, twice, and then died completely.

Inuyasha looked up, a frown on his face. Had death come for both of them?

No. It wasn't death. Death never came with sad music and physical darkness. He knew that well enough to fear the shadows that were now swarming around him. But before he could draw Tetsusaiga, a form appeared in the center of the room not a few feet from where Kagome's limp body lay.

Enshrouded in a crystalline blue light, the figure approached cautiously.

"_Inuyasha_," said the smooth and deep voice. It was a women, or something of the sort at least. She, or it, was too bright to look at directly. "_Inuyasha, why do you weep_?" But the figure, being, or whatever it was, didn't wait for the hanyou to respond. White eyes peered down at Kagome's form and sighed sadly.

"She is sleeping," said the being with cold consideration. _"The Death Sleep. You can not wake her from it."_

"What do you mean I can't wake her from it?" Growled Inuyasha. All grief had been replaced with anger when this being had appeared, interrupting. "I'll wake her from it all right, if it takes everything I've got!"

The wraith shook it's head sadly.

"You cannot wake her, Inuyasha, no matter how badly you desire to." A grin, or what looked like a grin, flashed across the crystalline face. _"But I can."_

The wraith waved a hand down Kagome's cool form. To Inuyasha's surprise, a gossamer, translucent veil appeared over her body. It glowed in the same, crystalline blue as the wraith. Inuyasha made a firm connection, but the wrong one.

"You wench! _You're _the one doing this to her!"

Inuyasha moved to draw his sword, but an upraised hand from the wraith stopped him.

"I assure you, Inuyasha, that if I wanted to kill Kagome, I would have done it before you ever found her. I'm here to save her for you."

This stopped Inuyasha in his tracks, but the wraith continued on, ignoring his stupefied gaze.

"I am not Death," she whispered gently, her eyes closed. Spreading her arms out over Kagome's form, she turned the corners of the Death Veil idly in her slender fingers. _"I am Life. I can be taken away by Death, or I can leave at my own bidding. Death is not present in this girl's life, and will not be for a long time. However, the body can coexist between the two of us, neither living but not yet dead. Kagome is there now, but she is slipping away."_

Inuyasha felt his heart stab with pain. "What?"

"She is giving up quickly on me, and has found the promise of solace in the arms of He who is the opposite of me."

"Death," Inuyasha reasoned. The wraith, Life, nodded.

"But that can be stopped, soon enough. You've been speaking to her for some time, but she's heard nothing of it. Yet she senses your presence. She feels you tugging her back to me and that is why she has not yet fully embraced Death yet. You've saved her this far, Inuyasha, but Death is capable of love, and he has truly been taken by Kagome this night."

"What do I do?"

"I shall remove the Death Veil, but that will do nothing in truth, save open her senses to the world of Life once more. It is you, Inuyasha, who must pull her back completely."

Inuyasha frowned.

"How do I do that?"

"Kiss her."

A skeptical crease formed across the half demon's brow. "That's it?"

The wraith shook her head.

"That is not all. Your kiss will only make Kagome aware of the fact that she may return to her body and time. She will come only if she chooses to."

Inuyasha suddenly felt his stomach drop within him. Kagome would have to chose to come back? Come back to what? To him?

Was he really even worth that?

All the suffering that Kagome had faced due to him, all the pain and torment and fear. Was he worth coming back to? Was he worth the inescapable pleasure of peace found in the arms of Death?

Once more, if he wasn't, could he survive that kind of rejection?

"Are you ready, Inuyasha?" the wraith asked coolly.

The hanyou nodded. It was worth everything to take the risk and find out.

* * *

No one was quite sure what had passed in the tree haven. They all felt a strange, ethereal presence come and then leave. They had felt the coolness erupt from beneath the roots of the tree, and the sudden, overwhelming tropical heat wave that enveloped them soon after.

Sweating and cursing, Yusuke looked up.

"What the hell was that?"

Kurama's eyes were wide with disbelief. Inuyasha had joined them at the surface, Kagome in his arms.

"She's going to be okay..." he smiled tearfully.

* * *

"All is finished then, I see?" asked Koenma from his seat in Spirit World.

"All ship shape and ready to go!" Botan winked happily.

"Excellent! Tell those boys to be ready to move on out! They're going home!"

* * *

"I guess this is goodbye, then," sighed Yusuke, shaking hands with Inuyasha.

"For now." Inuyasha smiled. Yusuke nodded in agreement as everyone else shared their goodbyes. Kigeko and Hikari sighed in sorrowful contentment. In just the few days they'd known this colorful group, they'd grown to appreciate their company. And with all their friends now gone, they had very little to look forward to.

"Why don't you come back with us?" asked Yusuke with a sympathetic grin. "You've got nothing here."

Kigeko grinned.

"Yeah, that's true."

It was Hikari who looked longingly over her shoulder.

"But we've got a lot of rebuilding to do here, don't you think?"

"Let them rebuild themselves," Kigeko grumbled angrily. "They lead themselves to this mess."

Hiei hid a small grin.

"So, you're coming with us?" Kuwabara asked with a hopeful grin.

"That would be wonderful," Yukina added happily.

Kigeko sighed and looked up at Hikari.

"Well, what do you think?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure why not?"

"So is that two extra for the trip home?" asked a familiar voice. All turned to see Koenma in his teen form approaching.

"Sounds that way," said Kurama, smiling.

"Excellent. Well, now that we've all said our appropriate goodbyes, let us head home!"

Two separate portals flanked Koenma.

"Inuyasha, Kagome, I expect that we won't be seeing you again," said Kurama with a sad sigh.

"I suppose not." Kagome grinned sadly. She had been back to her normal self for the past few hours, much to the joy of her friends. Especially Inuyasha.

The hanyou stared idly at the young woman that even Death himself had fallen in love with, and counted himself lucky.

"It was wonderful having met you," said Kurama, bowing low.

"And you," Kagome curtsied politely, then, taking Inuyasha's hand, the two of them leapt through their own portal. The last image they saw of the pair was Kagome waving back at them cheerily. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou followed, along with the enlarged Kirara.

"She wasn't a bad girl," Yusuke commented with a longing sigh as the portal disappeared.

Kuwabara frowned.

"Hey man, you've got Keiko back at home waiting for you. Don't even think about it or I'd have to pummel you."

Yusuke laughed.

"Now, now, just saying is all!"

"Can we go now?" Came Hiei's annoyed voice.

Kigeko chuckled, and came to stand beside the fire demon. Kurama was at her side as well, while Yusuke and Kuwabara shared a joke with Hikari. Yukina stood, unknowingly, beside her brother with a satisfied smile.

"Let's go, you three!" Shouted Koenma. "You've got more work ahead of you once you get home."

Yusuke frowned.

"Sheesh Koenma, can't we get a small break once in a while?"

Koenma raised an eyebrow and shook his head, sending some provoked laughter through a few members of the group.

With a sigh, Kigeko leapt through the portal behind Yukina and Hiei.

"Goodbye old life," she called back sadly.

Kurama followed with Hikari behind him, and Kuwabara, and at last Yusuke. Koenma shook his head, closed the portal, and sighed.

"And so ends this chapter of the Spirit Detective's adventures..."

--Fin--

* * *

Author's Note: Fin! YAY! It's done! I rather liked that scene with the wraith and Inuyasha. I need to use that idea for another story.

Thanks again for all the fabulous reviews you guys! You all rock! (hugs everyone)


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